Money dispute heads west to television court program

THIS ‘N' THAT

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

The "Judge Joe Brown" program receives applications from people hoping to have their cases broadcast on the syndicated television show. The various TV court programs also draw from the dockets of courts, nationwide, while looking for good cases to lure on to their own docket.

"They pull cases that people take to small claims," Krystle Madden said this week. "I got a few letters, [including from] Judge Judy and Judge Alex. I chose to go on Judge Brown."

Brown's biography tells of his childhood in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood followed by law school and careers as a prosecutor, public defender and judge in Tennessee.

The former boyfriend that Madden sued also agreed to settle the case, through the "private arbitration" as listed on the show's letterhead, which served as an agreement filed in St. Mary's District Court.

The show footed the bill for the two litigants to fly separately to California and stay in different hotels, Madden said. "The only time we saw each other was in the courtroom," she said.

Madden's original lawsuit claimed she'd loaned the former boyfriend the money to help with a car insurance bill and part of a lawyer's fee, but that she hadn't been repaid. The TV show's "press brief" on the case said he countered that she'd insisted on giving him the money that he never asked for. The show paid Madden the money, she said, and the episode aired on television earlier this month. "It was fun," she said. "I was nervous at first, because you have all those cameras and lights staring at you, but it was fun."

Scarecrow fun reslated for Saturday

"Scarecrow Making on the Square" in Leonardtown has been rescheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday after the threat of rainy weather last weekend postponed the event.

If it rains again on Saturday, the scarecrow making will take place in the old Vintage Value building on the corner of Washington Street and Fenwick Street.

For more information, call 301-475-9791.

Word of last weekend's postponement didn't get to some trick-or-treaters who visited the doorways of downtown merchants, who nonetheless were ready with the goodies. The Leonardtown Business Association is anticipating more trick-or-treaters will make their visits this Saturday.

Sotterley to host Civil War talk

Bradley Gottfried, president of The College of Southern Maryland, will speak on "The Civil War Comes to St. Mary's County" at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, at the barn at Sotterley Plantation in Hollywood.

Gottfried will describe events that occurred in St. Mary's County during the Civil War, from the landing of federal troops at Leonardtown in 1861 through the release of the Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout Prisoner of War Camp in 1865.

For more information or to reserve a seat at the event, call 301-373-2280.

Hoedown coming Nov. 7 to fairgrounds

A hoedown planned for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, in the main hall of the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds off Route 5 south of Leonardtown will offer instruction in square dancing, line dancing, the two-step and waltz.

The Country Memories Band will perform, with vocals by Ray and Karen Windsor. Wine, cider, soft drinks, beer and light snacks will be served.

Tickets are available in advance online at www.hoedownatfairgrounds.com, or at the door. Children younger than 12 will be admitted free. All proceeds will benefit the Community Mediation Center of St. Mary's.

Basket bingo planned at Moose Lodge

A basket bingo to benefit Second Hope Rescue will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Moose Lodge in Mechanicsville. There will be special games, pull tabs for baskets, raffles and food. All baskets will have liners or protectors and will come with a 2009 Longaberger holiday tote.

Second Hope Rescue is a non-profit organization that specializes in finding new homes for older and harder-to-place dogs and cats. For more information, call Second Hope Rescue at 240-925-0628 or send e-mail to mcbeuchert@hotmail.com.

Estate planning to be offered Nov. 9

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission will hold a free advanced estate planning workshop at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, in the SMECO Auditorium at 15035 Burnt Store Road in Hughesville to benefit the region's agricultural and farm business community.

The workshop is a follow up to an estate planning session held earlier this year, and will be a more in-depth discussion covering the key elements of strategies to protect family farms and financial assets from excessive taxation. Topics will include selling or keeping a farm business in the family, transferring assets within a family, preparing a family for the transfer of assets including business structures, protecting and building cash assets, pursuing philanthropic goals and creating an effective financial team.

The workshop will be co-presented by Wealth Management Partners and Edward Pennfield from the Bank of New York Mellon. The workshop is co-sponsored by Colonial Farm Credit and Country Mortgages. 

Attendance at the previous estate planning workshop is not a prerequisite, and anyone interested in the topic of estate planning is invited to attend. Advanced registration is requested by Nov. 6.

Forthcoming workshops will feature sessions on insurance and long- term care on Dec. 7, and retirement planning and investments next Jan. 11.

For more information, call 301-274-1922. For more information on related programs, go online to www.smadc.com.

Historian to speak Nov. 10 on Mexico

Mary Kay Vaughan, a history professor at the University of Maryland, will address "Myths About Mexico" at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary's Hall at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Vaughan's presentation will examine key moments in the history of U.S. and Mexican relations to help understand why the two nations have come to an impasse over the drug trade and immigration. There will be a book signing after the talk at the James P. Muldoon River Center. For more information, call 240-895-4108.

Flea market to land Nov. 14 at fairgrounds

The St. Mary's County Fair Association is having a mega indoor flea market from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the fairgrounds off Route 5 south of Leonardtown. All vendors and crafters are welcome. An 8-by-10 space with one table may be rented for $20. Call 301-475-9543.

Poor boater education blamed in fatalities

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has expressed concern over statistics reporting a rise in recreational boating fatalities in a report on 2008 boating safety.

The fatality rate, a measure of the number of deaths against the number of registered recreational boats, increased from 5.3 in 2007 to 5.6 deaths per 100,000 boats in 2008. During that time, the Coast Guard recorded 709 deaths, 3,331 injuries and about $54 million dollars in damage to property, stemming from 4,789 recreational boating accidents.

The top five contributing factors to recreational boating accidents included operator inattention, careless or reckless operation, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger or skier behavior. Alcohol consumption continues to be of major concern in fatal boating accidents and is listed as the leading contributing factor in 17 percent of the deaths.

For more information about the Coast Guard Auxiliary boater education course, go online to www.cgaux.org/boatinged/. The auxiliary also offers free vessel safety checks, with more information at www.cgaux.org/vsc/.

Livestock program coming Nov. 21

A 2009 lambing and kidding school will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Holiday Inn in Waldorf, Maryland, sponsored by the University of Maryland Extension and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Extension. Susan Kerr, an extension educator from Washington State University who is involved nationally with 4-H animal science curriculum development and educational outreach, will give several presentations at the program.

Preregistration is required by Nov. 6. Tuition covers attendance at the program, morning refreshments, lunch and resource materials.

For more information, call 301 432-2767, ext. 315 or 343, or send e-mail to sschoen@umd.edu or pthomas@umd.edu. A tri-fold program and registration form can be downloaded online at www.sheepandgoat.com/programs/09LKschoolbrochure.pdf.

jwharton@somdnews.com