Chesapeake Bay Gateways, water trails get funding

Congress has passed the Interior-Environment Appropriations Conference Report containing $1 million for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network and $500,000 for the Star-Spangled Banner Trail.

In 11 years, the network has grown to include more than 150 gateway historic sites, museums and other attractions, and more than 1,500 miles of water trails, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. Several gateway sites also provide the backbone for the developing Capt. John Smith Chesapeake Bay National Historic Trail.

The bill creating the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail was signed into law in 2008, and the appropriation will allow for planning the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Help for veterans, families

A discussion about combat veterans' return to the community and their behavioral health concerns will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Rd., California.

The free regional program is for active-duty service members and veterans, families, health-care providers, educators, clergy, employers and law enforcement personnel.

The program will feature presentations by Christian Davenport, a Washington Post journalist and author of "As You Were: To War and Back," and Joel Scholten, rehabilitative services associate chief of staff at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Register at http://www.paxpartnership.org.

Leonardtown library funding

The Maryland Capital Grant program has awarded St. Mary's County $765,000 to support the design for the new Leonardtown library.

Eleven other projects applied for the grants. The St. Mary's Board of County Commissioners included $13.3 million in its three-year capital budget for the project.

Expo needs agribusinesses

The Maryland Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Southern U.S. Trade Association, is recruiting agribusinesses to participate in Foodex Japan 2010 in Tokyo, on March 2 to 5.

Foodex Japan is Asia's largest food and beverage trade show; it attracts 2,400 exhibitors from 60 countries. It is expected to draw 86,000 trade professionals.

Agribusinesses selling these products have the most potential to succeed in the Japanese market: ready-to-eat meals, functional foods, seafood, all-natural or organic products, high-quality natural foods, foods without genetically modified organisms, frozen fruits and vegetables, snack foods, fruit juices, desserts and retail food products. To participate within the U.S. pavilion, products must be made in the United States and must be of at least 50 percent in U.S. origin, excluding water.

Limited space is available. The registration deadline is Friday. Participation fee is $1,200 and $1,500 for one booth.

For information, contact Theresa Brophy at 410-841-5781 or brophyt@http://mda.state.md.us.

Groups plan town hall

A free town hall meeting covering workforce development, commercial development, contracting opportunities and apprenticeships in Southern Maryland will be 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata.

The event is in Room 113 of the business and industry building.

The meeting is sponsored by the Charles County NAACP, Black Caucus of Charles County and Alphas of Southern Maryland. For information, call Jason Henry Sr. at 240-346-1117.