10 Vying for Charles Circuit Court Seat

A District Court judge, four county prosecutors and two private-practice lawyers are among the 10 people who have applied to replace Charles County Circuit Court Judge Christopher C. Henderson.

A panel chaired by La Plata lawyer Rudolf A. Carrico Jr. will consider candidates to replace Henderson, who is retiring Oct. 30 after serving for 12 years. The panel will submit three names to Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), who will choose someone to fill Henderson's term, which expires in 2013.

The candidates are Tonia Y. Belton-Gofreed, an assistant state's attorney in Prince George's County; Douglas C. Cooley, master of juvenile causes for Charles Circuit Court; Helen I. Harrington, master of domestic relations in Charles Circuit Court and a teen court judge; Shara G. Hendler, a defense lawyer in Baltimore County and a former Charles prosecutor; W. Louis Hennessy, a District Court judge in Charles; Karen R. Piper, an assistant state's attorney in Charles; William F. Renahan, a public defender in Charles; Thomas R. Simpson Jr., a lawyer in La Plata and a former Charles prosecutor; Jerome R. Spencer, a deputy state's attorney in Charles; and Kenneth A. Talley, an assistant state's attorney in Charles who serves as a teen court judge.

Oral History Project To Focus on Sharecroppers

A project funded by the Calvert County Historic District Commission will focus on the lives of sharecroppers in the Wilson Road community. Oral histories will be recorded about residents' experiences in tenant farming and land ownership in tobacco country.

During its regular meeting Tuesday, the Calvert Board of County Commissioners approved a $6,000 contract with William A. Poe, who will conduct the interviews and arrange for professional photographs to accompany the histories.

St. Mary's River Party To Highlight Preservation

The St. Mary's River Watershed Association is throwing a free party Saturday on the banks of the river to educate county residents about how to protect the waterway and its tributaries.

The fourth annual RiverFest will be held rain or shine at Historic St. Mary's City, off Route 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities and speakers are designed to reconnect St. Mary's County residents with the river, which starts and ends in the county.

One way to get to the festival is by canoe. The association is organizing a "paddle-in" from Dayden to St. Mary's City. Those driving to the event can tour the river aboard the Dee of St. Mary's, the skipjack of Board of County Commissioners President Francis J. "Jack" Russell (D-At Large).

At noon, the musical group Magpie will sing environmental songs for children. Other groups scheduled to perform include Indian Summer, Dance Hall Ghost and the Piney Point Playboys.

At 1 p.m., former Maryland state senator Bernie Fowler will lead a "wade-in," in which participants can help the association measure the clarity of the river by observing how far they can wade in before losing sight of their shoes.

The festival will also feature pumpkin painting, oyster tonging, beach seining, a birds of prey exhibit, bird watching, hula and belly dancing, clowns and free admission to the Historic St. Mary's City Museum. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

For more information, visit http://www.smrwa.org/riverfest.html.