Housing, bedding donations sought for local pets Nov. 21

THIS ‘N' THAT

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009

The St. Mary's Animal Welfare League and St. Mary's Department of Public Safety's Animal Control Division have teamed up to encourage donations of animal shelters and bedding that county residents can use for their pets.

The volunteer organization and the county's animal control officers will be at the PETCO shop in California from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, to receive donations of pet bedding and pet houses.

St. Mary's animal control regulations require outdoor pet houses to be weather proofed to afford protection from rain, wind and snow, be covered from direct sunlight, be fitted with a covered entrance such as a flap or swinging door, be structurally sound, be elevated at least two inches off of the ground and include dry bedding.

Tony Malaspina, St. Mary's animal control supervisor, encouraged donors to try to ensure that the structures they bring to the pet shop are in compliance with the regulations. "We'll check the houses," Malaspina said.

Distribution of the donations will take place at a later date, so pets throughout St. Mary's can benefit from the donated houses that are structurally sound.

"If we have them, we'll get them out to you," Malaspina said.

Bedding that is dry, clean and approved by the animal control officers also will be appreciated. Examples would include fabric bedding, hay, wood chips and blankets, and Malaspina said some usable carpeting and blankets already have been received.

Anyone in need of bedding or a house for a pet this winter can contact the animal control office at 301-475-8018, and anyone having a donation that they can't bring to the event also can call that number to arrange for a visit by the animal control officers.

"We'll pick it up if it's usable," Malaspina said, and take the item to a storage area until a recipient is found.

For more information on St. Mary's animal control regulations, go online to www.stmarysmd.com/emergencycomm/animalcontrol.asp.

First Friday set today in Leonardtown

Shops, galleries and restaurants have joined together again from 5 to 8 p.m. today to celebrate First Friday in Leonardtown, opening their doors and offering specials, live music, poetry readings, receptions for featured artists and samples of menu items. To learn more about the specials, go online to www.leonardtownfirstfridays.com.

Veterans home plans Saturday open house

The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home at 29449 Charlotte Hall Road will hold its fifth annual open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, providing information for senior citizens, their families, physicians and other health care professionals.

The day will include tours of the veterans home and demonstrations of services offered to residents, including nursing care, assisted living, Alzheimer's care, and rehabilitative services. Attendees will see the new optometry center, beauty and barber shop, and massage therapy. Entertainment and light refreshments will be available.

Local businesses, organizations and government agencies also are invited to exhibit at the event. Call 301-884-8171.

Veterans' service planned for Sunday

The Sgt. James H. Harris Camp No. 38, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, will hold a Veterans Day Memorial ceremony at 1 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 8, at Zion United Methodist Church cemetery off Hermanville Road in Lexington Park.

The local camp of descendants of Union soldiers will honor five known members of the United States Colored Troops who served during the Civil War and are buried at Zion cemetery. Other veterans from World War I, World War II, Korea and other wars buried at Zion cemetery also will be remembered.

The public is invited to come to the cemetery for the service and remember the local servicemen from past wars. Zion United Methodist Church was founded in 1879 and celebrates its 140th anniversary this year.

Town prepares for Veterans Day

The big parade through Leonardtown to celebrate Veterans Day begins at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 11, starting off on Washington Street and proceeding through the downtown area to Courthouse Drive.

The parade will feature veterans, dignitaries, elected officials, local school marching bands, military units, color guards, bagpipers, classic and antique cars, boy and girl scouts, cheerleaders, horses, motorcycles, fire, police and emergency personnel and their equipment. Spectators are encouraged to remain in the town square following the parade for a memorial ceremony that will include patriotic music and the laying of wreaths in honor of veterans.

Parade participants are requested to arrive at the assembly area on Washington Street by 9 a.m. to check in with parade coordinators for their line-up assignment. Dignitaries, veterans, re-enactors, pipers, school bands, color guards, and classic cars should enter the downtown area on Fenwick Street, where they will be directed to the assembly area. Motorcycles, floats, scouts, dance groups, walking groups and horses should enter downtown from Lawrence Avenue. Emergency equipment and other large vehicles will assemble in Leonardtown Elementary School's parking lot.

Spectators are encouraged to use the round-trip shuttle bus service from the county governmental center parking lot into downtown. Washington Street into downtown will be closed to incoming traffic from 8 a.m. to noon, and spectators choosing to drive into downtown should enter from Route 5 and Fenwick Street to Ryken Hill, and park in designated areas along Park Avenue and Courthouse Drive. Volunteers will be on hand to assist with parking directions and street detours.

The annual Veterans Day parade is sponsored by the Leonardtown Council and the St. Mary's county commissioners.

Call 301-475-9791 or send e-mail to leonardtown.commissioners@verizon.net.

Helen community to host program

The Helen community will hold its 24th annual Veterans Day observance at 2 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the monument site located along Route 5 near its intersection with Route 238. Capt. Andrew Macyko, commanding officer at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, will be the guest speaker. All veterans are encouraged to attend.

Beer and wine tasting set for Nov. 12

Christmas in April St. Mary's County will hold its ninth annual beer and wine tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. next Thursday, Nov. 12, at the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center off Route 235 in Lexington Park. The band Pond Scum will perform Celtic tunes. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. For more information, call 301-863-2905.

Stormwater control talk set for Nov. 16

Erik Michelsen, who has worked with the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center and Alliance for Sustainable Communities, will speak at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the CSC conference room at 21841 Three Notch Road in Lexington Park on regenerative storm water conveyance.

New state stormwater control regulations going into effect next May will require developments to utilize environmental site design techniques. Regenerative storm water conveyance is one technique that can reduce pollutants to streams without increasing cost to developers.

Michelsen will discuss the technique and why environmental site design is essential to cleaning the Chesapeake Bay and reducing future expense of retrofitting with public money. He will discuss legacy sediments in coastal plain streams from his research on the South River.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 301-737-2903 or send e-mail to info@stmarysriver.org.

Wind energy talk planned for Nov. 17

The Potomac River Association will host a public forum on residential wind energy systems at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center at 44219 Airport Road in California.

St. Mary's County has revised its zoning ordinance to permit windmill construction, but to date none have been constructed.

Carlos Fernandez-Bueno, founder of Potomac Wind Energy, will give a presentation on the economics and practicalities of home wind-energy systems, and will address the availability of wind in Southern Maryland, the cost of system installation and operation and zoning and permit issues.

Ken Robinson owns Southern Maryland's only residential windmill that generates electricity, installed last March at his Swann Point home in Charles County. He will talk on his experiences owning and operating a wind turbine generator.

A representative from the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative will give a presentation on how the electric co-op handles the interface with residential power generation. For more information, call 301-769-3840.

jwharton@somdnews.com