Sheep on the Run in Davidsonville Area

Reprinted from the South River Source

Five sheep escaped from their Harwood home last Friday afternoon (April 26) and have been on the run ever since. The owner has given his phone number to contact him immediately if you spot the wayward animals. We’ve included it at the end of the story. Please don’t try to capture them on your own.

Sheep owner Jay Evans said these five sheep took off from South River Clubhouse Road before the weekend. They were spotted late Friday on theGolf Course at South River. From there, they moved west toward Central Avenue and Solomons Island Road.

Over the weekend, the sheep made their way through the woods toward Brick Church Road. Evans said he believes the sheep are possibly in an area between Brick Church Road and Birdsville Road.

While Evans has spotted the sheep several times, he has not been able to catch them.

The sheep are friendly but scared. Evans asks that  anyone with information or a sighting contact him at 240-755-6720 or Anne Arundel County Animal Control at 410-222-7000.

Davidsonville Students Plant

   

 

 

    Recently, students from Davidsonville Elementary‘s Green School spent the afternoon planting native vegetation at the Davidsonville Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the South River Federation‘s Watershed Restoration Project.
    Alongside teachers, parents and South River Federation staff members, the students planted 80 native trees, shrubs and grasses throughout the Sanctuary. According to Jennifer Carr, volunteer coordinator for the South River Federation, the kids had a terrific time working together and learned the importance of keeping local waterways free from dangerous bacteria.
    To read more about the project,  and to view over a dozen photos of the workers,  go to:

http://southriversource.com/2013/04/26/hot-shots-local-kids-help-preserve-local-waterways/

DES Chess Club Successes

    Andrew Lubienski is coaching some Davidsonville Elementary School students in chess who have won tournaments, brought home trophies and spread the game to other students.
    A Davidsonville chess team won the King of the Hill Tournament April 20 at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center in Annapolis. That same day, a team from Davidsonville placed third in the state tournament at Severn School. On April 15, the team won the Broadneck Invitational at Broadneck Elementary.
    A nice long article about these chess players can be read at:
    http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/schools/davidsonville-elementary-school-chess-team-racks-up-wins/article_2f54579e-31e9-5af2-b77b-0335dfc6165c.html

Gov. Bridge Rd. Bridge Closed

Reprinted from Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch

    

 

The Governor’s Bridge Road Bridge was  temporarily  closed Friday afternoon by the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) after structural engineers determined emergency repairs were needed to ensure safety.

At the request of Prince George's County, the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, Bureau of Highways Road Operations will close Governor Bridge Road on the Anne Arundel County side of the Patuxent River and will place water-filled barriers backed by stone aggregate across the full width of the road.

Originally built in 1920, the steel truss structure is located in Bowie off of Route 301, over the Patuxant River. It was inspected Friday as biennial Routine Bridge Maintenance Program, according to DWPT. As part of the program, bridges 20 feet or more in length are inspected every two years to ensure they are safe for travel.

Emergency repairs will be completed by a contractor under the direction of DWPT and are expected to take approximately four weeks. Detour signs and barriers have been placed on either side of the bridge for the duration of the project.

Natalie Glannel On Syracuse Lacrosse Team

    Natalie Glannel of Davidsonville is a junior at Syracuse University and a defender on their lacrosse team.  You can read her bio at:

http://www.suathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9504&path=wlacrosse

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales

1328 Double Gate Rd,  Janet A. and Henry Edward Gertz to Diane Lee Rogler, $475,000.

1606  Governor Bridge Rd.    Peter R. and Barbara M. Newton to David Allen and Sharon Michelle Luckett, $515,000.

 

 

Grandmother Dances Her Way to Good Health

Reprinted from the Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch

Davidsonville resident Rochelle Drucker will be 70 in July, but still manages to attend Zumba classes four times a week.

    

Rochelle Drucker may be turning 70 years old in July, but that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her love of dance though a cardio workout calledZumba.

The Davidsonville resident will be “70 years young” in July, and still manages to attend Zumba class at 24 Hour Fitness in Annapolis four times a week. Drucker said that besides being a lot of fun, the workouts have helped to keep her in top shape.

“What was happening was I could see the toning almost immediately,” Drucker said. “You start to get smaller. I was looking better, and I was feeling better. I had a lot of energy too.”

Drucker said she first discovered dancing to stay fit when she was in her 30s. Her children were growing up and she was becoming stressed. That’s when a co-worker recommended aerobic dancing.

“I didn’t know anything about it, but I love to dance,” Drucker said. “At the time it was the early '80s and someone decided that aerobics was an excellent way to build up your heart and lungs.”

Despite changing gyms a few times, Drucker has stuck with aerobic dancing since the 1980s. Even now that she has two grandchildren, Drucker still makes physical fitness a priority.

When she isn’t attending Zumba, Drucker works out on a stationary bike in her home. She said that not only does her physical shape make her feel good, it has also improved her life quality. She is able to keep up with her grandsons and stay active throughout the day.

“I have the energy I need when I need it,” Drucker said. “A lot of older people I know can hardly walk, and I am able to run around and do jumping jacks.”

Drucker said she wouldn’t be in the physical shape she is in now if she hadn’t started early. But she insists that anyone who makes the decision they want to be healthy can do so—if they stick with it.

“Physical fitness is a never ending journey,” Drucker said. “You can’t say ‘I am physically fit now and I am done.’ Find something you like and stick with it... I want to get people out there moving because it really is a lot of fun.”

Student Work at Wildlife Sanctuary

Reprinted from the Edgewater-Davidsonville  Patch 

 

    

 

Key School students participated in a service project for the South River Federation at their Davidsonville Wildlife Sanctuary project site on Monday.

Eighth-graders planted native tree species, wetland grasses, and switchgrass. They collaborated with volunteers from Double Tree Hotel, met the Bowie Baysox mascot, and took tours of the sanctuary.

The project they worked on is a multistage water recovery system that uses a series of ponds to capture, filter and absorb runoff from the animals, according to The Key School.

Key's participation was part of an Earth Day event that began with a film exemplifying individual sustainability activism and closing with an address of Earth Day's political and cultural history.

Baysox mascot Rocko was out in the community helping with the project thanks to a partnership with Chesapeake Bay Trust, according to a Baysox spokesman. The Baysox posted a video of Rocko'sday with the Key School students.

Jessie Wismer In Leadership at FSU.

    Jessie Wismer was one of nine students were selected to participate in Frostburg State University’s 2012-2013 President’s Leadership Circle (PLC).
    Through this group, FSU’s top student leaders are stewarding relevant causes through their proven capabilities in the classroom and community. PLC students are working with FSU President Jonathan Gibralter and other FSU stakeholders for mentorship opportunities, including shadowing Gibralter at numerous official functions. In addition, PLC members will participate in the Sloop Institute for Excellence in Leadership in the spring and in an international experience. Past PLC students have visited Uganda, Dubai and the Czech Republic, among other destinations.

    Qualifications for PLC include 75 or more credit hours completed, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and proven demonstration of leadership on campus.

    Wismer, a resident of Davidsonville, is working toward a major in mass communication and a minor in art history. She is the assistant director of Special Events for the University Programming Council and the Pulse/Fast Lane writer for The Bottom Line.

Travis Pastrana 9th at Richmond

    Travis Pastrana  from Davidsonville finished the NASCAR Nationwide Series 250 mile race in 9th place.  He was on the lead lap as the race ended.  Travis has been pretty consistant  during the season typically finishing the races around 10th place.

Bands On The Bay Benefit

Reprinted from South River Source:

Head over to Herrington Harbour this Sunday, April 28th for the 8th annual Bands on the Baybenefit concert.

Davidsonville families the Hecks and DeCesaris created Bands on the Bay after Ed and Ida Heck’s daughter Jenna was diagnosed with Sturge-Weber. The disorder is characterized by a port wine birthmark and neurological abnormalities in the brain, skin and eyes which can lead to long-term health issues including seizures and glaucoma.

Jenna Heck has Sturge-Weber Syndrome which is identifiable by a port wine birthmark. Photo courtesy of Bands on the Bay.

The event raises funds for the the Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute. To date, Bands on the Bay has raised $985,000 which directly supports the creation of new research positions, treatment for Sturge-Weber patients without medical insurance and clinical research projects.

This year’s festivities run from 1-6 p.m.  Performers include theDoug Segree Band, Orlando Phillips, School of Rock and Kaitlyn Heck. Tickets are $75 and cover admission, an all you can eat buffet, drinks and music.

There will also be a live and silent auction featuring items such as Bruno Mars, Pink and Justin Bieber concert tickets, a Pebble Beach get-away and much more.

Herrington Harbour is located at 7151 Lake Shore Drive in Friendship. For additional information or to purchase tickets visit www.bandsonthebay.org.

Jim Popp Is Avid Edsel Collector

    The Ford Motor Company started producing the 1958 Edsel in late 1957.  In 1959,  sales started to slow.  When production started on the 1960 model in late 1959,  they only produced a few thousand in the 44 day production run.  Serial number 1 of that year is now owned by Edsel collector Jim Popp of Davidsonville.
    The link below tells how he became the owner of that car and was able to restore it.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jul/29/20040729-084121-9008r/?page=all

O'Dell and Webster to Marry

Anne Arundel County has issued a marriage license to  Jacob Thomas  O'Dell, 22, of Davidsonville, and  Perin Marie Webster, 20, of Crofton.

Irmtraud Marie (Nee: Engelke) Spieker Passes Away

 
     It is with deepest sadness that at age 84, we had to say good-bye on April 21, 2013 to our loving mother and Oma, Irmtraud Marie Spieker (nee: Engelke).
    Born in Bremen, Germany, she was a long time resident of Davidsonville, MD.
    According to her wishes, she was able to pass away, after a short illness, at home quickly and painlessly. We will sorely miss her constant humor, help and love. In line with her giving spirit, she chose to donate her body to science through the Anatomy Board of Maryland. Thus, instead of a funeral service, a memorial service will be held at a later date in Annapolis, Maryland.
   In grateful memory, we are her sons, Heiko Spieker from Baltimore, MD, and Michael Spieker, from Elkton, MD, and her grandchildren, Heiko Spieker II, from Baltimore, MD, Kristin and Jon Olszewski, Mickey, Mathias and Monika, all from Bel Air, MD. 

Interview Of 8 Year Old Shane Toal

http://edgewater.patch.com/articles/chatting-with-davidsonville-elementary-student-shane-toal

South River High Best In AA Co.

    According to a Washington Post rating,  South River High is the 7th best high school in Maryland and the highest rated in Anne Arundel County.
    South River High School is a national Blue Ribbon public high school serving grades 9-12. The school enrolls students from neighborhoods in Edgewater, Davidsonville, Crofton, Gambrills, Riva, Mayo and Harwood. South River HS is one of the designated sites for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) signature program.
    The school web site is at:  http://southriverhigh.org/

Primus Richardson Passes Away

    Primus  W. Richardson, a Davidsonville resident,  was born on December 29, 1926 and passed away on Saturday, January 26, 2013.

    No obituary found for him.

Davidsonville Nike Base History

How much do you know about the Davidsonville Nike Base?  If you would like to read the complete history of the base and see numerous pictures of it,  go to the below URL:

http://www.techbastard.com/missile/nike/w25.php

 

 

This is how the Davidsonville Nike Base looked in 1964.  This view is looking almost due west across the launcher area (foreground) to the integrated fire control (IFC) area (center background) in 1964. The launcher area now serves as the Anne Arundel County Police Academy, while the IFC area is the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center.

Seth Makin Starting for Retrievers

    Seth Makin, from Davidsonville, is a sophomore at UMBC and played well as a defender on the Retrievers lacrosse team in 2012.  Read his bio at:
http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mlacrosse/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6554

Sam McKelvey--Standout Lacrosse Player

  Sam McKelvey is a senior at UMBC and is a defender on their lacrosse team.  The Davidsonville native has received numerous honors as a lacrosse player.  Read his bio at:
http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mlacrosse/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6576

Travis Pastrana Racing Incidents

Here is an interesting clip of Travis Pastrana at the Texas Speedway recently.
At the completion of this short clip,  you can also watch several other short videos of Travis racing.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/videos/2013/4/12/pastrana-gets-loose.html

Woman Dies in Kilarney House Parking Lot

    A young woman was found by emergency workers in the parking lot of Kilarney House in Davidsonville on Friday evening, April 12.  By the time they arrived she was already dead.  For all the details,  go to:

http://southriversource.com/2013/04/12/dead-body-found-in-car-in-parking-lot-at-davidsonvilles-killarney-house-on-friday/

The Other Band To Perform at Maryland Hall

 

    Davidsonville grandfather  Joe Dickey is a member of The Other Band, a quartet playing a concert Wednesday, April 17, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis. He’s also part of Shenandoah Run, a nine-piece ensemble from Northern Virginia devoted to folk music.    And,  the 74 year old is renowned for his wood turning abilities which are showcased in the next article on this web site.
    The Annapolis-based Other Band formed over the course of several jam sessions and has been together three years. The other members include a couple engineers and an entomologist. Two are retired, one is semi-retired, and the youngest is 66.
    The band got its unique name at a show where another group was also playing. Dickey said they overheard someone say, “That’s the other band.”
    The Other Band is composed of  Mike Siegert on mandolin, Dickey on banjo, Karl Neidhardt on bass and John Shields on guitar and lead vocalist who are shown  in the below photo rehearsing  at Dickey’s home last week.

You can read a lot more about this band at:

http://www.capitalgazette.com/lifestyle/living/the-other-band-has-scientific-roots-with-dickey-three-others/article_ef9e8ecb-28a5-53dc-8d3c-84dd1f7c411a.html 

You can find out more about Shanandoah Run and The Other Band at:
        http://www.joedickey.com/music.html
 

Joe Dickey Has Wood Turning Show

    Joe Dickey of Davidsonville demonstrates how he uses a lathe to carve a bowl in his Davidsonville workshop. He’s been wood turning for 30 years, ever since taking a week-long class on the art form. An exhibit of his work opens Wednesday at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, the same day his group, The Other Band, plays a concert at the Annapolis arts center.

    The  74 year old Dickey uses a lathe and chisels to transform all types of wood into all kinds of bowls, boxes, platters and other miscellaneous shapes. Some are dyed various colors, others are left natural.  He considers his work an art form as much has no utilitarian value.  It can also showcase his sense of humor, such as a church collection plate without a bottom or a sugar bowl with a hole to small to take the spoon out. 
    For a nice long article about Joe and his upcoming show at Maryland Hall, go to:

http://www.capitalgazette.com/lifestyle/living/davidsonville-resident-has-wood-turning-show-at-maryland-hall/article_d914c188-275a-5f91-8781-cca6584ac293.html

Joe also has his own web site which you should also check out at:
http://www.joedickey.com/

Travis Pastrana Finishes 33rd on Friday

    Travis Pastrana of Davidsonville finished 33rd out of 40 drivers in the Nationwide Series NASCAR race on Friday evening.  Travis started in the 21st spot  of the O'reilly Auto Parts 300  but encountered problems and only completed 186 laps of the 200 lap race on the 1.5 mile Texas Speedway.
    In the five previous Nationwide series races this year,  Travis has finished 10th, 28th, 10th, 16th, and 13th. 

Robert Mahler Passes Away

    Robert William "Uncle Bob" Mahler, 60, died peacefully April 9 from a blood clot.
    He was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hazlitt) Mahler of Annapolis. Robert was born July 28, 1952 in Philadelphia, PA, and was raised in Clinton. He most recently made his home in Baltimore.
    Robert was employed at Winn-Kelly Chevrolet in Clarksville, and was an active member of Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Davidsonville. At Grace EP, he was a deacon and participated in their Gulf Coast Relief Missions, and was active in the Men's Ministry. Robert was also a member of the Annapolis class of Bible Study Fellowship.
    He enjoyed Corvettes, baseball and children. He was "Uncle Bob" not only to his nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, but also to the children at church.
    Robert is survived by his mother, Elizabeth; his sisters, Debbie Kelley of Frederick, Arlene Coccia of Mansfield, MA, Terry McDougal of Baltimore, Gloria Mahaffey of Edgewater, Toni Richards of Sparta, WI; a half-sister, Linda Hincklin of Shasta, CA; 11 nieces and nephews, and eight great-nieces and nephews.   
    The memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, at Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church on Birdsville Rd., in Davidsonville.

Rautenberg and Weber to Marry

    Anne Arundel Co. recently granted a marriage license to  Alan Robert Rautenberg, 37, Davidsonville, and   Rachel Prudence Weber, 41,  also of Davidsonville.

Maria Shields Sets American Record

    For the second year in a row, Maria Shields of Davidsonville turned in a record-setting time in an North Carolina event.  . The time she set for an American record for her age group (60-64) was 21 hours, 31 minutes and 47 seconds for the eight-lap, 12.5-mile course of the Umstead 100-mile trail run in North Carolina on April 6.
    Maria wanted to credit her training partner Laurel Bell with being a great aid while running with her for the last 50 miles.
    Several others from Anne Arundel Co. also  competed.  Bob Cawood of Annapolis was running strong and his time of 16:54:47 was good for fifth place overall. Others of note who did well were Nancy Cooper (23:22:54) and Lara Mish (27:36:50).

Recent Davidsonville Home Sale

      A four bedroom rancher on 2.48 acres  at 3451 Merrimac Road in Davidsonville recently sold for $945,000.

Annie "Belle" Grow Passes Away

      ANNIE S. "BELLE" GROW, 85, of Davidsonville, MD passed on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in AAMC.
      Born January 19, 1928 in Spotsylvania, VA. Beloved wife of the late Ferris Grow, loving mother of Kathryn Barlow and the late Lee Grow (Kathy), grandmother to Adam Barlow, Jenny Betten and Jessie St. John, great-grandmother to Drew Barlow and Zoe Betten.
      She was predeceased by 4 brothers and survived by 6 sisters.
      A memorial service will be held 12:00 noon April 13th at Davidsonville United Methodist Church, 819 West Central Ave., Davidsonville, MD (Rte 214 & Rte 424). Eastern Star Service to immediately follow. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chesapeake Hospice of Annapolis, MD

Bay Breeze Heating Helps Poor Woman

A Brooklyn Park woman who used space heaters for warmth this winter now has a more reliable and safer method to heat her home, thanks to a county nonprofit.

Rebuilding Together, which helps low-income homeowners through home rehabilitation and repairs, secured a Davidsonville heating and air conditioning company to renovate the woman’s heater in about a week, Executive Director Barbara Cupp said.

The 59-year-old woman, whom Cupp declined to identify to protect her privacy, lives alone on Social Security payments.

“She had no heat and no way of heating her house. Her electric bills were a strain, as she was running those space heaters, which are fire hazards,” Cupp said.

The recipient was not prepared for Bay Breeze Heating and Cooling to complete the work in a day, Cupp said.

“I believe the words she used were ‘a blessing,’” she said. “A great many of our clients have nowhere else to go and can’t do it themselves. It’s overwhelming and a blessing.”

It’s work that Bay Breeze owner Michael Johnson was only too happy to do when Rebuilding Together contacted him, he said. His company has worked with Rebuilding Together for about two years.

“It’s a nice feeling to be able to do that. It took me about seven hours to do the job. She had been all winter without heat,” Johnson said. “She couldn’t thank me enough.”

Since its inception in 1991, Rebuilding Together, formerly Christmas in April, has helped 2,300 people with $8.9 million worth of repair work, Cupp said. For every dollar donated, the nonprofit is able to get $4 worth of repairs completed, thanks to the companies that partner with it, she said.

Robert Ochall Passes Away

    Robert "Rob" Michael Ochall Jr., 51, of Columbia, and a former resident of Davidsonville, died April 6, at Northwest Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer.
    Born February 5, 1962 in Washington, DC, to Alberta and the late Robert Ochall Sr., he graduated from South River High School in 1980. Rob earned a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Maryland, University College. Rob worked for Sodexo, Inc. as a project manager for the past eight years. He loved playing golf and running, including several marathons. He also enjoyed watching sports, going on cruises with his family and going to Redskins games.
    He was predeceased by a sister, Patrice Kelly of Stevensville.
    Rob is survived by his beloved girlfriend, Randy Reisfeld; a son, Kevin Ochall and his girlfriend Stephanie Garcia of Annapolis; two step-children, Jason and Lauren Wachterman of Columbia; a brother, Bill Ochall and his wife, Peg of Annapolis; a brother-in-law, Mike Kelly of Stevensville; three nieces and nephews, Christopher and Kathryn Ochall of Annapolis, and Justin Kelly of Stevensville; three aunts, Corinne Walukonis of Moosic, PA and Helen Minchak and Agnes Roman, both of Herndon, VA; and dear friends Howard and Debbie Bloom of Mount Airy, MD.
    Friends are invited to Rob's Life Celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 12 Noon on Thursday, April 11, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 826 W. Central Ave., Davidsonville. Interment Lakemont Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hope Well Cancer Support, P.O. Box 755 Brooklandville, MD 21022. Online guestbook available at www.kalasfuneralhomes.com

Police Want Help In Burgess Death

Anne Arundel County police are asking for the public's help in solving the murder of a 37-year-old found stabbed to death last month in her Davidsonville home.

For the first time, police released a photo of Nicole Burgess, who was found dead by two acquaintances at her home in the 3300 block of Royale Glen Court at 11:30 a.m. on March 22. The body of her dog, a pit bull mix, was also discovered.

Police are asking anyone with information about Burgess to call Detective Vince Carbonaro of the police homicide unit at 410-222-3453. Information can also be provided anonymously by contacting the 24-hour Metro Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

Information also can be sent by text to CRIMES (274637) or submitted at www.metrocrimestoppers.net

Burgess’ death was the county’s fifth homicide of 2013.