January 19, 2010, Chestertown, Maryland

Finally found some time in this new year to get back to ‘observing’.

THE MIDDLETOWN TRANSCRIPT carries monthly Middletown Police Department statistics and their December statistics showed 933 calls for service; they also reported 258 vehicle stops, 59 property checks, 58 public relations matters, 86 alarms and 36 property damage accidents.

And speaking of our neighboring Middletown community, the most recent ‘PSEG Nuclear siren sounds test’ for residents was on January 12th. The nearby Salem Nuclear Power Plant (the one that can be seen around Middletown) is a two-unit pressurized water reactor nuclear power station located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey (south Jersey) and is owned by PSEG Nuclear LLC and Exelon Generation LLC.

Have been to a couple of events at Heron Point in Chestertown recently. Interestingly there is a portable speed device sitting off the road as you approach the main building – not sure if this speed device belongs to the Heron Point community or the Town of Chestertown. It was announced at one of these events that Heron Point will soon be associated with ACTS Retirement-Life Communities – and yes, the name “ACTS” comes from THE BIBLE. ACTS has been in the active adult retirement community business for over 35 year and they have 19 retirement communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Heron Point is their first in Maryland. It is the largest not-for-profit owner, operator and developer of continuing care retirement communities in the U. S.

If you’re looking for hunting, fishing and other outdoor ‘stuff’ and missing Vonnie’s, try Shore Country Outdoor on Rt. 213 north from Chestertown (just before reaching Kennedyville) or Chesapeake Diesel right in the middle of Galena. Both have a wide assortment of all kinds of outdoor ‘stuff’.

Heard on the streets of Chestertown recently --- the closing of Andy’s on High Street caused an uproar for weeks – but haven’t heard a word about the demolition of the ‘community inspired’ Robert Leathers Playground at Garnett Elementary School. People got awards for building the playground – there were feature stories and a book was even written about it … and now almost twenty (20) years later – it’s true - hardly a word about its demise!

More Chestertown ‘talk’ – another park? To beautify Chestertown’s gateway? What are those officials doing to help REDUCE taxes? Parks are nice – trails are nice – sculptures are nice but at what cost?

Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture has warned Delawareans about a rash of on-farm copper wire thefts that have been reported since November. Thieves are after the copper wiring on single pivot irrigation systems. Maryland farmers beware!

The January 14, 2010 issue of OCEAN CITY DIGEST reported “Convention center expansion gets nod, state funding”…the facility is expecting to add about 20,000 square feet and a 1200 seat performing arts center. The expansion is expected to cost $8.2 million and the performing arts space about $1.6 million. The state, through the Maryland Stadium Authority, is Ocean City’s partner in the facility and is expected to pay 50 percent of the operating costs of any expansion. Maryland’s Board of Public Works voted last week to spend $4.8 million on the project. Where is all of this money coming from????

Shore watermen have formed a new association called the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Association for all who have a commercial fishing license. THE STAR DEMOCRAT reported on Sunday that those who organized this new group did not feel the Maryland Waterman’s Association, headed by Larry Simms of Rock Hall, was representing their interests. The new group is based in Dorchester County and Capt. Gibby Dean is its first President.