By Christy Goodman and Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, January 17, 2008
North Beach officials will build an environmentally friendly town hall, one of a handful of "green" buildings in Southern Maryland.
The Town Council agreed unanimously Jan. 10 to hire David Clements with Architectural Associates to design the building. Clements said he will use the standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) throughout the project.
An application for LEED certification must be submitted before construction, but a project does not receive official certification from the U.S. Green Building Council until the structure is completed. Certification is based on several criteria that aim to promote energy and water efficiency while upgrading indoor environmental quality, Clements said.
"The green building process will cost you 10 percent more," Clements told the council. However, using solar panels and other energy-saving measures could lead to significant savings on power bills, he said, in some instances, to the point of having the meter run backward.
A requirement for a LEED-certified building is that materials must come from within 500 miles of the construction site, "which means we are cutting down on trucks and pollution," Clements said. Incorporating renewable building materials is another requirement.
Clements will present preliminary sketches to town officials by the end of the month. He said the council will have full control in every step of the design process.
"It will be an interesting process," said Mayor Michael Bojokles.
The town council has set aside $2.16 million for the building, and future mortgage payments are factored into the budget, Bojokles said. The council also plans to request a grant of about $50,000 from the Maryland General Assembly toward the construction project, said Council member Gregg Dotson.
The former North Beach Town Hall was demolished last year.
The La Plata Town Hall is a LEED-certified building. A higher-education building in St. Mary's City and Chaney Enterprises in Waldorf have applied for LEED status, among other buildings in Southern Maryland.
Asian American PanelWaldorf resident Tammy Pantages was appointed to the newly expanded Governor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Maryland Gov. Martin J. O'Malley (D) announced last week.
Pantages was chosen to be Southern Maryland's representative to the commission, as part of an expansion that created new positions for geographic areas of the state. Pantages is president of the Korean American Association of Southern Maryland, a job she will retain along with her membership on the state commission. She also chairs the Korean American Cultural Arts Foundation.
The appointments are part of an effort to elevate the status of the commission, which advises the governor and state office of Asian Pacific American Affairs on issues affecting the state's growing Asian American population. Commission Chair Jane Nishida said the number of Asian Americans in Charles County has grown by as much as 50 percent in the past several years.
School Board OfficersSchool boards in Charles and St. Mary's counties elected officers at recent meetings.
¿ The Charles County Board of Education unanimously reelected Donald M. Wade (Hughesville) as chairman and Roberta S. "Bobbie" Wise as vice chairman at its meeting last week.
Each January, the board elects a chairman and vice chairman, who serve one-year terms. This is the second year for Wade and Wise in the leadership positions.
Wade, a three-term board member, was first elected in 1998. Wise is in her first term, having won election in November 2006. She is a retired Charles County Public Schools teacher.
¿ Last month, the St. Mary's County Board of Education of St. Mary's County unanimously elected William M. Mattingly (Chaptico) as chairman and Cathy Allen (Hollywood) as vice chairman.
Mattingly is in his second term on the board, having first won election in 2002. He served as vice chairman last year. Allen, a former chairman of the board, was first elected in 2000.
Calvert School BudgetThe Calvert County Board of Education plans a public hearing on the school superintendent's proposed fiscal 2009 operating budget on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Brooks Administrative Center, 1305 Dares Beach Rd. in Prince Frederick.
Superintendent Jack R. Smith and other administrators will present budget details at the beginning of the hearing. That will be followed by comments from the public. Individuals are encouraged to submit their comments in writing as well.
Copies of the proposed budget will be available at the public hearing or can be obtained by calling the superintendent's office at 410-535-7804.
School Board Q&AThe Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association (DACCA) has posted on its Weblog questions and responses of candidates vying for seats on the Calvert County Board of Education.
Three of the five seats on the board are up for election this year. Voters will narrow the field of candidates for two of the three seats in the Feb. 12 Maryland primary election. There are just two candidates for the third seat, so both will advance to November's general election.
The candidate responses are posted at http://daccamd.blogspot.com.
The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a primary election candidates' forum on Feb. 5, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at the Calvert Pines Senior Center, 1450 Dares Beach Rd. in Prince Frederick.
New Park Service ChiefMaryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin announced the selection of Nita Settina to serve as superintendent of the Maryland Park Service.
Settina began her tenure with DNR in 1995 as the agency's intergovernmental affairs director. In 1999, she moved to the Park Service to lead development of the Nature Tourism Program. Since 2004 she has served as executive director of the Maryland Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program that employs youth in conservation and environmental education service throughout Maryland state parks.
The Maryland Park Service manages natural and cultural resources on 134,000 acres of public lands and provides outdoor recreation opportunities for more than 11 million visitors annually, DNR said in a statement.
Settina succeeds outgoing superintendent Paul "Rusty" Ruszin, who retired from state service on Oct. 31.
Nominees for Top CEOThe College of Southern Maryland's Corporate Center is seeking nominations for the 2008 chief executive of the year.
In its eighth year of recognizing outstanding leadership within Southern Maryland, the Corporate Center extends this honor during the annual Leading Edge Awards ceremony in June.
Nominations may be submitted through Feb. 15. Nomination criteria and online nomination forms are available at http://www.corporatecenter.csmd.edu; click on "Leading Edge Awards." To qualify, nominees must be with a business in Charles, Calvert or St. Mary's counties, be in a position of leadership in a Southern Maryland private-sector business and be available to attend the ceremony June 18 in Waldorf.
For information, call 301-934-7585 or 301-870-2309, Ext. 7585 for Charles County; 240-725-5499, Ext. 7585 for St. Mary's County; or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7585 for Calvert County, or visit the Corporate Center's Web site.
Mardi Gras BallOn Feb. 16, the Civista Health Foundation will have its 17th annual Mardi Gras Ball. The theme, "Treasures of the County," will feature various eras to commemorate Charles County's 350th anniversary this year.
Highway Star, a 12-piece brass band, will provide the music for the evening at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center. The Mardi Gras Ball is the foundation's signature event and among Charles County's largest fundraisers with more than 800 guests and collective revenue totaling $1.5 million over the past 16 years.
Proceeds from this year's event will help fund renovations and enhancements to obstetrical services at Civista Medical Center in La Plata.
The culmination of the evening is the crowning of King Rex and Queen Mystique, who are selected from votes they generate through fundraising, with each dollar raised translating into one vote. The event also generates revenue through ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.
Candidates for King Rex are Southern Maryland Business Center's Blaine Lessard of Welcome; Jay Lilly, a Bryans Road resident who is a vice president with Coldwell Banker; and James Harring, a physician who practices at Civista Medical Center.
Candidates for Queen Mystique are Waldorf resident Deborah Bryant of Melaleuca, the Wellness Co.; Susan Rollins of PNC Bank; and Stacy Scott, owner of Charles Street Boutique in La Plata.
Tickets, which must be reserved in advance, are $125 per person through Feb. 8 and $150 per person after Feb. 8, until sold out.
For event details or to make reservations, call the Civista Health Foundation at 301-609-4132 or visit http://www.civista.org.
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