Honoring Those Who Protect, Serve

Construction is expected to last two years, officials said.

Parking Lot Paving

The Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management notified residents that surface paving and striping of parking lots A and B at the courthouse in La Plata is scheduled to begin Monday and extend through next week.

County employees and visitors will not be allowed to park in those lots during the paving work. Parking lots A and B are the lots north and south of Talbot Street.

Online Farmers Exchange

A new, free online marketplace is available to Maryland farmers that enables them buy, sell, give away or trade their agricultural products.

The Maryland Agricultural Exchange, created by the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland, can help farmers in Maryland and throughout the Chesapeake Bay region exchange such products as manure, compost, hay, fodder crops, fruits and vegetables, organics, equipment, livestock and much more. The agriculture products exchange Web site is at http://www.agtrader.org.

"This website will create new market opportunities for farmers. It is like a 'Craig's List' for agriculture," Joanne Throwe, assistant director of the Environmental Finance Center, said in a statement. The center is part of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education.

All trades through the Web site are made strictly between buyer and seller. The Web site allows traders to quickly register and then post their products any time they wish without having to fill out forms. Pricing and delivery are left to buyer and seller to work out.

Bike to Work Event

The Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland in cooperation with the Charles County government, the Naval Support Activity South Potomac and the Town of Indian Head are sponsoring a Bike to Work event tomorrow from 7 a.m. to noon at the Village Green Pavilion, 100 Walter Thomas Rd., Indian Head.

The Bike to Work Day celebration was organized to promote bicycling to work as a healthy and environmentally sustainable alternative to drive-alone commuting, the Tri-County Council said in a statement.

Several officials are planning to participate, including state Del. Peter F. Murphy (D-Charles), County Commissioners President Wayne Cooper (D-At Large) and Commissioners Gary V. Hodge (D-St. Charles), Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D-La Plata), Reuben B. Collins II (D-Waldorf) and Edith J. Patterson (D-Pomfret), Indian Head Mayor Dennis J. Scheessele and Cmdr. Michael Weaver, Naval Support Activity South Potomac.

Other participants include the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Clean Air Partners, Washington Area Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Charles County VanGO, Lifestyles Inc., the American Red Cross, Spring Dell Center, Charles County Sheriff's Office, Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club, and the Indian Head Senior Center.

Accessibility Meeting

The St. Mary's County Commission for People with Disabilities and the Maryland State Highway Administration are hosting a meeting Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Room at the Carter Building in Leonardtown to examine compliance with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.

The Highway Administration is conducting a self-evaluation to identify features in the state's public right of way, such as sidewalks, that might not meet the act's current guidelines.

SHA is having these public meetings throughout the state. Comments from residents will guide priorities for future projects.

Starting at 6 p.m., a brief overview of the act will be given, with displays showing individual ADA element compliance on sidewalks along state roads in St. Mary's County.

Residents who are unable to attend the meeting but wish to provide input or to request information on upcoming meetings may contact Linda Singer at ADA@sha.state.md.us or 410-545-0370.