PAX River Online

Southern MD PAX River NAS Hotel - New Addition by Cherry Cove & Hilton

2011-12-19T10:35:00.001-08:00

Cherry Cove - Hotel Rooms, Office Space, Storage Space and Apartments in Southern Maryland

Cherry Cove Hospitality Management of southern Maryland announces a new Home2Suites by Hilton hotel property, in Lexington Park MD near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (PAX River). Home2 Suites by Hilton, a mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand designed for modern business travelers and extended-stay guests, celebrated the opening recently of the brand's seventh U.S. hotel with the new Lexington Park, Maryland property. This is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hotel in the brand's portfolio.

Cherry Cove of Lexington Park, MD manages this and many other short and long-term hotel, apartment, office and storage space services in southern Maryland, with all properties easily accessible to the DC metro area and Northern Virginia (from Rt 4, Rt 5 and 301 in Maryland to the Beltway). If you need space, odds are Cherry Cove has it. Whether it be hotel rooms, apartments, office space or storage, the property managers of Cherry Cove have the space you need, all while providing superior customer service and industry expertise.

Catering directly to the southern Maryland (SOMD) and Patuxent River area, Cherry Cove's range of well-maintained properties suit the needs of any potential customer. Their Hospitality Division serves Calvert and St. Mary's Counties with hotel rooms and event spaces in southern Maryland including Hampton Inn, Marriott, and Hilton properties, plus the beautiful and picturesque scenery of St. George's Island Inn and Suites.

Cherry Cove also owns and manages rental apartments in Greenview Village, offering one, two and three bedroom options conveniently located near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Close to local schools and allowing pets, this safe and quiet community offers everything a renter is looking for near the PAX River NAS.

If you need southern Maryland office space, Cherry Cove has furnished offerings ranging from 156 to 1,063 square feet, located very close to the PAX River NAS. Amenities include dedicated Ethernet, conference rooms and cleaning services.

In addition to southern Maryland hotels, apartments and office space, Cherry Cove also manages private and secure self storage units, available in a variety of sizes. All come with 24-hour access, and an on-site day manager. From files to inventory, personal belongings to vehicles, Cherry Cove has the storage space to fit your needs.

MD Foreclosure Assistance Mobile Text Service Offered by CAFN

2011-11-30T05:12:00.001-08:00

Regional Community Service Announcement

TEXT HOME or CASA to 877-877

The Capital Area Foreclosure Network (CAFN) very recently announced the launch of a new foreclosure prevention text messaging service. The service will provide those in or worried about foreclosure with access to advice, reminders, and alerts through their mobile phones in either Spanish or English. The goals of the campaign are to increase the number of homeowners and renters that get help from a nonprofit housing counselor, and decrease the number of people who drop out of counseling.

TEXT HOME or CASA to 877-877

Parties can opt-in to the service by using their mobile device to text message HOME or CASA to 877-877, and will then immediately receive critical information and a hotline number to use when they are ready to connect to a counselor at a HUD approved counseling organization.

After opting in, mobile subscribers will receive periodic reminders, information about foreclosure prevention programs available in their jurisdiction, such as the new mediation programs in D.C. and Maryland, follow-up instructions, alerts to scams, financial literacy tips, and much more.

Read more at Gateway to Loudoun County Business - Foreclosure Assistance Mobile Text Service...

Goodbye, Chesapeake Bay Summer 2011

2011-09-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

See you later, Summer 2011 at the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River watershed...some final pictures to help get through the winter...

Ready to dive into the Jellyfish - though they were pretty light this year!

Horse country meets bay country at Sandy Hill

Now accepting applications for 2012 lifeguard slots! Ladies only, please.

Hurricane Irene 2011 Aftermath St. Mary's County MD

2011-08-28T17:25:00.001-07:00

Driving around St. Mary's today, after Hurricane Irene blew through, seeing hundreds of trees down and damaging power lines - starting at Charlotte Hall and extending south on Rt. 5 through St. Mary's College, all the way to Pt. Lookout, and then all along Rt. 235/301 up past Lexington Park nearly to Waldorf. Our local elementary in Ridge has power lines dangling all over the entrance to the property - so no school tomorrow I'll guess. This damage and power outages may take at least a week to repair, if not more. Docks around St. Jerome's creek suffered popped boards, but not major damage. Flooding through Great Mills, over the road earlier.

Trees over power lines and streets on Rt. 5 South of Leonardtown.

St. Mary's River at St. Mary's College - angry, high brown whitecaps on a normally sedate bay.

June in St. Mary's County - Crabs, Oysters, Beach

2011-06-26T07:13:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful weekend in St. Mary's County, Southern Maryland - sailing the flotilla of boats to our favorite local beaches - interesting picture below, the sandbar penninsula previously part of a single property, now dissected by the current, creating a public domain beach island. Crabs are getting bigger, the trot-liners are very busy these mornings, and the spot are hitting hard. No activity yet in St. Jerome's creek by the "Chesapeake Fresh Oysters" crowd; just more derelict floating oyster beds continuing to wash up.

Chesapeake Fresh Oysters - a Southern Maryland Aquaculture Experiment, Round Two

2011-04-19T16:57:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday offered a very interesting chapter in a long story concerning the development of commercial aquaculture and “Chesapeake Fresh Oysters” in Southern Maryland, i.e. “floating oyster beds” anchored in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Some years ago, a local outfit under the name Circle C Oyster Ranch made a go at growing, harvesting and offering for sale oysters from floating beds anchored in St. Jerome’s creek, in Ridge, MD. This “aquaculture” practice was and is popular from a State of Maryland perspective, providing badly-needed water filtration and cleansing services while protecting the slowly recovering natural oyster beds from over-harvesting. The enterprise received many grants and public interest, but eventually withered under negative community relations and mismanagement, along with rejection of permit renewals by the DNR, to become a derelict flotilla of abandoned floating oyster beds with dead oysters, strewn all over the lee shores and native marshlands.

Enter the Chesapeake Fresh Oyster Company, Inc. to the area, with its “new and improved” strategy for community relations, renewed permit applications and new ownership out of Baltimore. At the Leonardtown MD government center, last Tuesday’s public input session held to review the permit renewal brought out the local Ridge landowners and Community Association, as well as the local Health Department, to share information and provide feedback to the new commercial venture.

Chespeake Fresh Oysters, Inc. appears to be headed in the right direction, offering a friendly though tightly-scripted and templated approach to Southern Maryland community relations...complete with all requisite multi-generational and local connections to environmental causes, St. Mary’s college alumni and the token “local waterman” interests – i.e. a long-time Maryland Bay Pilot and family, and Mr. Lore, Chesapeake Fresh Oyster's landlord in Ridge, and the long-time owner of the Airedele road peninsula properties and its oyster harvesting rights (now somewhat distributed among newer riparian owners).

Chesapeake Fresh Oysters, with newly-registered Internet domains under “Save the Oyster Foundation, Inc.” (savetheoyster.org), appears to reflect varied Baltimore-based investment interests including Ray Jackson of Stonewall Capital and Fred Cheek of Shamrock Recycling.

Many questions and concerns remain to be answered following the session, from availability of local water quality data and questions about commercial tax status to riparian rights easements and shoreline cleanup, but it appears the permit approval process will likely move forward without more significant hurdles. So, the jury’s in session now on this great idea and much-needed boost to the Maryland oystering industry and ecological preservation interests - but very sensitive local community relations investment.

Aquaculture Oyster Permit Hearing Announced for St Jerome's Creek St. Mary's County Southern Maryland

2011-04-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this? Will result in more garbage on the shore, floating hazards to boaters in St. Jerome's creek, and a significant eyesore to the wetlands. This is associated with the Circle-C Oyster Ranch on Airedele Road, in St. Mary's County.

Pictures of Oyster beds and nets untended, washing up all over the shoreline, killing wetlands plants and interrupting wildlife traffic and patterns

Maryland Department of the Environment
Water Management Administration

Notice of Application for State Wetland Licenses, Private
Wetland Permits or Water Quality Certification and the
Opportunity to Provide Written Comment or Request an
Informational Hearing

The Water Management Administration is reviewing the following
applications for State Wetland Licenses, Private Wetland
Permits and/or Water Quality Certifications. The applications
and related information are on file at the Administration.
Arrangements may be made for inspection and copying of file
materials. Interested parties may provide written comment on
the application or request an informational hearing on any listed
application. A request for a hearing must be in writing and provide
the following information: 1) Name, Address, and Telephone
Number of the person making the request; 2) The identity of any
other person(s) the requestor is representing; and 3) the specific
issues proposed to be considered at the hearing. Please refer to
the case number (i.e., 00-WL-0000) which identifies each application.
Address correspondence to: Tidal Wetlands Division, Water
Management Administration, 1800 Washington Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland, 21230. Telephone(410) 537-3837. Written
comments or requests for a hearing must be received on or before
April 15, 2011.

St. Mary’s
201160116/11-WL-0466: Chesapeake Fresh Oyster Company
LLC has applied to renew license 97-WL-1431 to emplace oyster
floats measuring 10-feet by 3-feet and 6-feet by 3-feet in two
areas totaling 3.2 acres. Area No. 2 is an irregular shaped 1.9
acres approximately 360-feet long by 340-feet wide located within
a maximum of 445-feet channelward of the mean high water line.
Area No. 3 is an irregular shaped 1.3 acres approximately 600-
feet long by 135-feet wide located within a maximum of 680-feet
channelward of the mean high water line. In addition, the applicant
has applied to emplace oyster floats measuring 10-feet by 3-
feet and 6-feet by 3-feet in an area adjacent to an existing pier.
The area is rectangle shaped and totals 12,540 square feet. The
area to the west of the pier is approximately 209-feet long by 40-
feet wide and the area to the east of the pier is approximately
209-feet long by 20-feet wide located all within a maximum of
209-feet channelward of the mean high water line. The purpose
of this project is to commercially raise and sell oysters. For
more information contact Justin Bereznak at
jbereznak@mde.state.md.us or 410-537-3782. The project is located
on St. Jerome Creek near the eastern end of Airedele Road
near Ridge in St. Mary’s County. A public hearing will be held on
Tuesday, April 12th 2011 at 10:00 A.M. at The Maryland
Governmental Center, 23115 Leonard Hall Road, Rm. 114,
Leonardtown, MD 20650.
ENT 1792263 3-23-11

Southern Maryland Chesapeake Bay - Nature Log Early March 2011

2011-03-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely in the air - all the birds doing their mating dances, and migrating Geese on the wing...

- Buffleheads are very active now (first time we've seen them down in St. Jerome's Creek) - little black and white diving ducks, chasing each other around

- The crows are chasing the owls around

- Rockfish are huge and fat right now, 6 pounder we purchased fo $27 was about the best fish we've ever eaten

- A few large flying bugs were spotted, warming up in the cold morning sun

- Squirrels are very active

- Mating Ospreys reappeared, getting active with scoping out their nests

- Not much visible under the water in the shallows, except some small clams washing up

- Time to cover the porch furniture anticipating an explosion of pine tree pollen, yellow dust covering everything in April

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - From Snowy PAX River

2010-12-29T07:50:00.001-08:00

Nice ice and snow photo opps on the Chesapeake, in St. Mary's County... ice forms pretty quickly 2 inches thick to about 5-10 yards offshore in low tide, gets pretty broken up and now melting in the morning sun and with wind picking up. Serious icing of marsh grasses, dock heads, pilings and exposed driftwood, mostly from wind-driven waves and tide in the snowstorm Monday.

A "Save the Bay" Conflict - Aquaculture Flotsam

2010-09-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

There exist many initiatives underway and very visible to homeowners like ourselves in the Chesapeake Bay/PAX River area, but sometimes the intent undos the good. "Aquaculture" interests nearby, for example, are a great mechanism for helping nudge the oyster population back up while providing very critical Bay filtering benefits....on the other hand, managing a fleet of "floating oyster beds" for public and environmental good should include avoiding negative impacts of beds-on-the-loose, as shown in the pictures below....over the course of a year, beds, baskets and other flotsam regularly washed up on our shores, wreaking some havoc with the local marsh areas...

(Little red arrows indicate where an Oyster bed-bag (hard vinyl plastic) washed in and embedded in the mud)

Here we've retrieved and piled up over 10 Oyster beds (in 2 piles) that washed up; the owner "unable to retrieve them" for many months.

Southern Maryland Chesapeake Bay - Nature Log Early August 2010

2010-08-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

An updated log of the Chesapeake Bay area wildlife for early August, 2010 - in St. Mary's County, MD, St. Jerome's Creek area....

Massive schools of shiny anchovy-like fish crackling as they group-jump out of the water - greyish with yellow-tipped fins
Bold juvenile crabs pulling snails off the shoreline reeds at high tide
Ospreys and their grown children busy repairing their nests after summer storms, and harassing the fat Blue Herons and large white egrets/herons
Crabs are running hard - pulling up a couple dozen in just a few hours in 2 crab pots, all male and rusty; lots of trot-liners
"Pencil fish" are schooling now, grown to at least 3-4 inches; saw an 8-incher
Lots of very colorful butterflies now, drinking late-summer weed nectar
The small swallow-like birds are very active at dusk, competing with the bats for all the nice insects
Jellyfish are bountiful (tons of very small ones), riding the currents around the small schooling fish

Updated 8/14/2010:

2 ft. juvenile black snake curled up in an overhanging tree branch, waiting to drop on something/someone
small crabs mowing down the algae along the bottom of the dock (didn't know crabs liked algae!)
caught a foot-long flounder/fluke, and a fat 14-inch rockfish, a 10-inch oyster toadfish - all in the crab pot; the crabs started chewing them right away, so they became bait

Southern Maryland Chesapeake Bay - Nature Log July 2010

2010-07-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Have meant to do this for a while - catalog nature as it appears around our house and the bay through the year...

Early July 2010

Little yellow and green caterpillars eating our Dill
1-2 yr. old Ospreys sparring in the skies above the nesting Adults with their babies
8-10 inch diameter Bay turtles eyeballing us
Crabs getting bigger, now all sizes, from rusty 2-inchers to fat 8-inchers
Lots of 2-inch diameter jellyfish, tentacles grown out to almost 2 feet, and stinging!
Trumpet Vines flowering (orange, trumpet-shaped vines)
Shore guppies growing, up to 2-inches now
Fiddler crabs about mid-grown, getting fat
A few Japanese Beetles
3 black sea snake sightings
Flipping fish more active in the mornings, now, still waiting for our "circus fish", who like to jump over floating sticks
Mosquitos, as usual, big and fat, along with the broadwing large black flies
Little bunnies growing up, active in the mornings/evening eating the lawn
Large Blue Herons are enjoying the big guppies, now

St. Mary's County Fireworks and River Concert Series

2010-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic night and double-capacity crowd for the annual St. Mary's College River Concert Series, along with the Independence Day fireworks - no more than 80 degrees, few bugs, tons of great food and Southern Maryland caterers including Quality Street Caterers of Leonardtown, MD - affiliating soon with J.T. Daugherty Events Center of Lexington Park.

South County - Southern St. Mary's County, Maryland

2010-01-15T13:13:00.001-08:00

“South County” refers to the most southeastern portion of St. Mary’s County. South County offers maritime charm, a myriad of recreational activities and a rich history to those who live and visit here.

Surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and St. Mary’s River, South County is the area located just south of NAS Patuxent River Gate 2 at Hermanville Road and includes its two main access roads, Route 235 and Route 5, which ends on the tip of the peninsula in picturesque Point Lookout State Park.

Read more at Visit South County ....

Saving Southern Maryland Chesapeake Pelicans

2010-01-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

Nice article in today's Washington Post about Maryland stepping up to save some wayward Pelicans who are more into evergreens than palm trees for hosting their christmas tree decorations.

""You see 'em shivering right now? That wind is cold," Tommy Courtney said Friday, watching remaining birds on a beach behind his seafood restaurant in Ridge, Md., where the Potomac River meets the St. Mary's River meets Smith Creek, and hard winds blow off all of them. At least 40 pelicans were near his restaurant Monday, some bleeding from frostbite on their webbed feet. It was far too late for them to head south. "

The article proceeds to describe how a group of Pelicans were captured and are being nursed back to health, ready to release when the Spring migratory patterns begin.

Courtney's Seafood and Restaurant is on Wynne Road in Ridge, MD - here's a link to some reviews of this great local Southern Maryland seafood restaurant stop.

2010 Southern Maryland Bridal Show - Wedding Show - J.T. Daugherty Events Center

2009-12-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Southern Maryland Weddings and Bridal Show

J.T. Daugherty Southern Maryland Event Center, Conference Center and Wedding Center announces its 2010 Southern Maryland Bridal Show - for January 17th, 11:30-3PM.

J.T. Daugherty Wedding Center in Southern Maryland is a Southern Maryland's only full service event center, conference center, wedding center and source for Southern Maryland catering - conveniently located in Lexington Park, MD across from the PAX River Naval Air Station in St. Mary's County, MD.

Strolling Fashion Show for Bridal Gowns, Tuxedos and Attendants, Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres, Cake Tastings, Door Prizes and all the Vendors you need to make your Wedding Day Dreams come true will be present!

Click Here To Register for the Southern MD Bridal Show, and You'll Be Eligible for The Romance Package Giveaway!

A Merry Christmas - From Annapolis Sea Glass Studio

2009-12-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

PAX River Online and KME Internet Internet Marketing (Maryland Internet Marketing Social Media and SEO) wish all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

We were particularly lucky this year in our gift search to find Annapolis Sea Glass Studio...they custom made us a beautiful Chesapeake Bay themed charm bracelet, with Bay sea glass in blue hues interspersed among silver charms - including a mussel, ray, sailboat and a nice blue crab!

From their site:

"Annapolis Sea Glass Studio specializes in nautical creations, highlighting authentic Chesapeake Bay sea glass jewelry & ocean remnants. Our signature sea glass/sterling silver charm bracelets, driftwood clad mirrors, and beach glass sprinkled hair ornaments delight even the most selective of retail and wholesale buyers."

Beached Oysters - Tropical Storm Ida Remnants in Chesapeake Bay

2009-11-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

The remnants of tropical storm Ida that hit Virginia, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region a few weeks ago (Nov. 15th, 2009), caused quite a bit of damage to shorelines, docks and floating equipment.

The picture below shows a whole bunch of floating oyster beds in Southern Maryland torn loose from their moorings, and washed onto the lee shore and rocks.

Plenty of other shore erosion, dock and pier damage, and fallen trees were also visible.

In Virginia, Gov. Timothy Kaine said recently that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved his request for federal disaster assistance. Tropical Storm Ida's remnants primarily lashed coastal Virginia with high winds and drenching rain. Kaine says the storm caused an estimated $70 million in damage.

Homeowners and renters in the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach and the counties of James City and York are eligible to apply for low-interest loans. Businesses affected by the storm also can apply for disaster loans.

Blog Action Day '09 - #BAD09 - Save the Chesapeake Bay and PAX River watershed

2009-10-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

From the Blog Action Day website, "Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion. " @blogactionday #bad09 on Twitter.

This is a great idea to leverage social media-driven conversations online to promote awareness of great causes, and in particular the one targeted for this day - Climate Change.

We're very much in the path of climactic change outcomes, here in the PAX River and Potomac River confluence area of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Southern Maryland (St. Mary's County). Already forecasts for rising water levels put many areas here under water or dangerously uninhabitable, for both people and other land animals/plants. As well, the rising water levels will result in additional wash of pollutants into the Bay and its tributaries, further degrading the quality of life for natural and human populations - along with wiping our much value and many sectors of the business economy.

While the EPA is apparentaly re-mobilizing for more discrete and timely outcomes in its Save the Bay program(s) - we've a long way to go, and online social media activism can be nothing but helpful.

J.T. Daugherty Events & Catering Wins Taste of St. Mary's Food Service Awards

2009-09-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the J.T. Daugherty Events, Catering, Wedding and Conference Center, of Lexington Park, MD, for their awards at this past weekend's "Taste of St. Mary's County" outdoor food festival at Leonardtown Square!

The J.T. Daugherty Southern Maryland catering crew won "Best Entrée" and the overall "People’s Choice Award", competing against numerous other restaurants and caterers on Sunday.

The year’s event was attend by the largest crowd ever, estimated at 1200 people.

J.T. Duagherty Events and Wedding Center, by Cherry Cove Southern Maryland Hotels, Events and Property Management, provides the area's only full-service event center and wedding venue with award-winning onsite catering, accommodations, A/V and many other services for weddings, conferences, meetings, association gatherings, family and business parties and other events.

Labor Day Memories

2009-09-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Summer's winding to a close - as are the fun and memories from a superb Labor Day weekend in Southern Maryland...though there's still plenty of eels to catch, the spot are biting hard, and the crabbies are still populating our pots...now looking forward to the upcoming St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival & US National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest (10/17-18, Leonardtown, MD).

Eating some yummy Rockfish sandwiches at Calypso Bay Crab House in Solomon's Island - the best view and food in the harbor! (Family-friendly while the sun's still up...)

High Summer in PAX River Bay Country, St. Mary's County MD

2009-08-04T05:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to high summer in lower Bay Country, St. Mary's County, MD. Mosquitoes and chiggers are out to play (with all this rain lately), trumpet vines and blackberries too. Spot and the occasional bluefish are biting, and fat jimmies are swarming our crab pots. The cownose rays have retreated to cooler waters, corn and soybeans are maturing fast, the nettles are up (but not too far, with all the fresh water flowing into the creeks). The Governor's Cup sailing race is a memory, but the Ridge fire station carnival is coming, and the St. Mary's fair in a month or so. Our local Osprey babies have shed their down, and learned to fly and fish. Pool supplies are low and cheap in the stores, and back-to-school shopping is picking up quick. The drive up 4 or 5 into DC is pretty reasonable in traffic - and the mennonites are busy with fully-loaded roadside stands.

It's time to relax, grab a Bruster's ice cream, and skip a weekend's lawn mowing.

Rt. 5 Mennonites

Waiting for Governor's Cup finishers at St. Mary's College Marina - and catching fat minnows

Watching the Governor's Cup at St. Mary's College

Fresh, rusty jimmies! (and a few softies)

Best St. Mary's County Ice Cream, period - Bruster's Real Ice Cream, Hollywood.

Military Families Looking for Short Term Rentals near PAX River NAS?

2009-07-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Are you a military member or family looking for a short-term, Fall through Spring, rental near the PAX River Naval Air Station? (PAX River NAS). Many options available through the Automated Housing Referral Network (www.ahrn.com) - including this newly available 3.3 acre waterfront property, in Ridge, MD.

Description:

Beautiful 3.3 acre waterfront property (built in 2007) less than 10 minutes to the Patuxent Naval Air Station Gate. This property is fully furnished with 2 owner's suites (1 on main level) and 2 additional bedrooms. Second Floor includes a laundry room, a children's den, an Owner's Suite, and 2 additional bedrooms. Walk to the Elementary School, Grocery Store, Post Office, Marina, and Hardware Store. Vacation at home from the lovely screened in porch or 2nd floor deck overlooking St. Jerome's Creek.

Log in to ahrn.com, and search in Ridge, MD!

If you're looking for full-time apartment rentals in the pax river nas area, check also Cherry Cove PAX River NAS apartments.

Ruddy Update...

2009-06-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, with good intentions, we headed towards the Celebrate 375 Maryland events at St. Mary's college - some torrential downpours diverted us over to the brand-new Ruddy Duck, in search of local, craft-brewed heavily-hopped liquid barley sustenance.

Tall ships at St. Mary's college, right before the rain

The phrase that comes to mind is "great potential".

Sitting in the Ruddy Duck's cavernous space, all six of us well-cooled by ceiling fans and with a decor somewhat conflicted between Western Canada and Mid-Atlantic (surprisingly not a lot of traditional Chesapeake Bay hangings), the brewmaster's board said it all:

That's right, nothing published, with only 2 actual onsite brews to share - a fairly bland though refreshing Pale Ale, and a "Belgian Wit" that looked and tasted suspiciously like a well-limed Mohito. Luckily, a number of "guest beers" were available, most notably the spectacular Clipper City triple-hopped Loose Cannon...stealing the show.

Very nice and friendly staff, though obviously still learning the ins and outs of table-clearing, customer attentiveness, and keeping down the table-spraying around eaters.

Our Mucho Meat Pizza, Mussels and Rudy's Mega Burger were more than tasty, the kids' menu was certainly a step up from IHOP (but no crayons?), but the Caesar salad left a bit unsaid (mainly in terms of volume)...plus we had to ask for the wing sauce, for the wings.

All-in-all, a very promising brewpub and grill with high potential, should the kinks of newness get worked out - hopefully first on the brew-making side.

The Ruddy Duck is located in Solomon's Island right off of Rt. 4, co-located with Cherry Cove's Solomons Island Hotel The Hilton Garden Inn.

Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill Opens - Solomons Island, MD

2009-06-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

The area's first brewpub/restaurant opened its doors yesterday in Solomon's Island, evidently over 300 dinners served... at the Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill...featuring:

- Breezy Point American Wheat
- Flag Harbor Pale Ale
- Hog Island Vanilla Stout
- Oyster Cove Barley Wine
- Sandbar India Pale Ale
- Ruddy Duck Solomons Lager
- Saint Leanard's Cream Ale
- Stonepile Koelsch

See you there! (And stay overnight next door at the Solomons Island Hilton Garden Inn!)

Celebrate Maryland 375 Events - June 2009

2009-06-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

(Press release, St. Mary's Division of Tourism)

St. Mary’s County’s sites and attractions produce a full line-up of events that “Celebrate 375 MD” including a Birthday Celebration Weekend.

Over forty of the county’s 2009 annual events include special “Celebrate 375” components from Sotterely’s Garden Fair in April to the National Oyster Festival in October. The five-event Birthday Weekend takes place in June.

Maryland’s 375th Birthday Celebration Weekend Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21, 2009 features five events.

River Concert World Premier. Friday, June 19, 7 p.m., St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, off Route 5.

The River Concert Series Season Opener featuring the Chesapeake Orchestra, Jeffrey Silberschlag music director, Celebrates the 375th with the world premier of a symphonic work “In Terra Maryland” by Maryland composer Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis with spoken texts culled from early writings on Maryland’s founding prepared by Jennifer Cognard-Black, Associate Professor of English, St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Maestro Silberschlag says: “This work attempts to tell about the arrival of the English colonists and their thrill of seeing Maryland for the first time.”
The concert also includes Handel’s “Trumpet Spectacular” and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9- "The New World." Free.
240-895-4107 www.riverconcertseries.com

Maryland’s Birthday Celebration. Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Historic St. Mary's City, St. Mary's City, off Route 5.

All day and evening celebration at the site of Maryland’s first colony and capital features tall ships along the St. Mary’s waterfront including tall ship Kalmar Nickel Delaware’s seagoing goodwill ambassador. The 200-tunnepinnace is modeled after the ship that sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638. There will also be 17th-century style food, make-and-take crafts, sutlers (vendors), music, whimsey, and other entertainment. The day will close with a special River Concert, to include a reprise of “In Terra Maryland” and fireworks. Free. 800-762-1634, www.stmaryscity.org.

Juneteenth Celebration. Saturday, June 20, Noon, Freedom Park in Lexington Park, Route 235 and Tulagi Place.

Entertainment for all ages celebrating cultural diversity and freedom. Early evening jazz concert. Free. HC. 301-862-4868, www.ucaconline.org

Pinks All Out. Saturday, June 20, Maryland International Raceway, Budds Creek, Maryland.

Speed TV will be filming an episode of PINKS All Out. Hundreds of the best drag racers in the country will bring their game to MIR in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold, hard cash in PINKS All Out. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile. Ticketed event 301-884-9833, www.mirdrag.com

Celebrate Family, Fun and Fitness! Sunday, June 21, College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 22950 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Maryland.

CSM celebrates 375 years with Wellness, Fitness & Recreation. Come dressed to play on Father's Day as you enjoy fitness demos, wellness tips, health screenings, fun
races and a 3.75-mile walk to include historic Leonardtown. Free. 301-934-7703 or 240-725-5312.

Visit Celebrate 375 MD Program and Website Sponsors including Southern MD hotels Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, and Marriott Fairfield Inn, by Cherry Cove Hospitality.

St. Mary's River Concert Series - June 19th - July 31st

2009-06-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the upcoming St. Mary's College River Concert Series, June 19th - July 31st; absolute great entertainment in a magnificent, though very family-oriented and friendly setting on the banks of the St. Mary's river. Generously supported by local and regional businesses including Booz|Allen|Hamilton, SAIC, Cherry Cove Hospitality, and O'Brien Realty, among others.

Leadership Southern Maryland Class - Inaugural Awards at Southern MD Hotel Hilton Garden Inn

2009-06-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Per this SOMD News story, members of the inaugural Leadership Southern Maryland class graduated this May at the Southern MD hotel Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons Island, MD.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a nine-month tuition-based program specially designed to develop leaders from the Southern Maryland area for regional collaboration.

"LSM is an outstanding program for individuals to learn about the region, those issues that most impact our friends, co-workers, and families, and an outstanding opportunity for you to learn about those issues to make a difference," said Wilson H. Parran, president of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, LSM 2009 and LMD 1999 graduate, in the LSM press release.

The LSM program is dedicated to building a cadre of informed regional leaders, prepared to address common issues and bring long-term benefit to their neighbors and communities and incorporates a cross-section of the region to include diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity and gender.

Congratulations to many of our regional Southern Maryland leaders (find the whole list at the SOMD News post), including well-known business leaders such as Brian Norris, Chief Operating Officer, Cherry Cove Development, and Lisa Franzen, director of foundation and corporate relations, St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Home of St. Mary's County's 2nd Best Bands

2009-05-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Rt. 5 the other day, near Charlotte Hall - "Home of the 2nd Best Bands in St. Mary's County"...all of them? Must be a pretty raging music scene.

Leonardtown Events Blog

2009-05-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled across this great blog with news and events from Leonardtown, Maryland (Southern MD) - it's time to swing by for First Friday's or other "Celebrate 375" (Maryland's 375th Birthday) events this Summer!

Celebrate 375 Maryland News and Tourism Lodging/Hotels!

2009-05-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

(Reposted from the St. Mary's County Tourism Newsletter)

"West Side Story" - COSMIC Symphony

Don't miss Maryland's Artists of Tomorrow as they display their interpretations of Leonard Bernstein's timeless classic, "West Side Story" on Saturday, May 16 at 7 PM at Great Mills High School. Concert goers can browse the visual arts gallery style exhibit "Do You See What I HEAR?" that displays K-12 student artists' interpretations of "West Side Story," then sit back and enjoy the music of this modern day story of Romeo and Juliet told by COSMIC Symphony!

For more information, please contact COSMIC Symphony at 301-373-5277 or visit www.cosmicmusic.org.

Air Expo '09 - Naval Air Station Patuxent River

On May 23 and 24, the Air Expo will be held at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River! You won't want to miss the thrilling, high-precision flying by the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. There will also be other aerial acts, demonstrations, entertainment and food.

For more information, please contact Naval Air Station Patuxent River at 301-757-EXPO or visit www.paxairexpo.org.

Celebrate Maryland 375 St. Mary's County MD Hotels, Lodging, Hotel Rooms

Find fantastic prices, great rooms and special events at Southern MD Hotels by Cherry Cove Hospitality - book your room early for MD 375 events and for other Summer vacation plans in St. Mary's county.

Southern MD Veterans Job Fair Lusby MD April 15 2009

2009-04-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

Get your resume ready and swing by the VETERANS JOB FAIR to be held Wednesday April 15, 2009, 10AM - 2PM, in the PAX River area of Lusby, MD (Calvert County).

Open to ALL Job Seekers!

Location:

Arick L. Lore American Legion Post # 274
11820 H.G. Trueman Road, Lusby, MD 20657

Sponsored by:

American Legion Post #274 Lusby, Maryland
Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s
Veterans Employment & Training Services of Southern Maryland Workforce Services

For more information, call 301-645-8712 x309
or email edowney@dllr.state.md.us

NO CHARGE FOR EMPLOYERS TO PARTICIPATE!

Wounded Warrior Project and paws4people = paws4vets in West Virginia

2009-04-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

The Wounded Warrior Project® [www.woundedwarriorproject.org ] and the paws4people^TM foundation [www.paws4people.org], in Strategic Partnership, announce the creation and implementation of:

The paws4vets^TM Program, a Morgantown, WV based, unique and dynamic, K-9 centered, recovery/intervention program for Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This program primarily uses dogs rescued from shelters prior to their being euthanized.

The AfghanDogZ^TM Program, a Morgantown, WV based, program designed to bring dogs from the war zone in Afghanistan to the United States. These dogs were adopted by American soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Some soldiers are able to bring the dogs they adopted home (to the U.S.) while others are not. These remaining dogs then become available to the AfghanDogZ Program.

What does this have to do with Southern Maryland? - paws4people and its assistance dog programs and online assistance to other nonprofits is rapidly expanding throughout the Washington DC area and surrounding regions.

Also, the nonprofit paws4people Foundation is largely supported by donations and purchase of their online charity raffle tickets - support a Veteran, support a service dog, and possibly win great cash prizes...win-woof-win!

Read more here....

St. Mary's County Library April Happenings!

2009-04-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

From their newsletter:

Lots of fun and exciting programs are planned this month to celebrate National Library Month.

You have the opportunity to meet two authors: on April 6 popular childrens' author Ginjer Clarke and on April 15 humorous Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate as he was dubbed by Matt Lauer.

Sing and dance with us to the music of Cantare at our Heritage Festival on April 25 as we explore the rich Latin American cultures.

We can't forget that April is also National Poetry Month. Poets of all ages are invited to share or listen at a PoetryOpen Mic on April 22. Randy Bridgeman whose book was nominated for a Pulitzer award will be reading.

The libraries will be closed Fri, April 10, and Lexington Park will be closed Sun, April 12.

TEEN ZONE

Teen Movie Night Watch PG-13 rated Hancock. Snacks provided. Free. TAG-sponsored.
- Leonardtown, Thurs, April 30, 5:30-7:30 PM

Teen Gaming Fun Play Wii, Guitar Hero and board games with other teens. All teens welcome. Free snacks. TAG-sponsored. Registration requested but not required.
- Lexington Park, Thurs, April 30, 6:30-7:30 PM

TAG (Teen Advisory Group) Hang out with other teens, play Wii, plan library teen programs and discuss books. Free snacks. All teens welcome. TAGs meet monthly at each branch.
- Lexington Park, Tues, April 7, 4-5:30 PM - Charlotte Hall Mon, April 13, 5-6:30 PM

DC and Northern Virginia Business Coaching - Benefits For Everyone

2009-03-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

In the past, businesses (and the government) have looked for college graduates because of their raw talent, hunger, and energy. There’s no replacement for someone who can work for hours on end - on suspect diets of caffeine and Twinkies. There are also folks who have been around the workforce for a while, but who may have pigeon-holed themselves into a certain job type or role. Many of these folks could use some serious business coaching.

There may even be many among the experienced workforce set who have lost some of their communication and business skills, and may feel they are in a dead end job with nowhere to go. These can be office workers, public servants or military professionals, IT professionals and even corporate managers or executives. It can be depressing thinking that you are stuck in one field and at one salary. It’s even worse when the economy turns south (or IS south, as in Antarctica South, right now), because you continually take cuts in pay and that can petrify you into never actually acting on a job change or opportunity.

The is the right time, in this economy, to take stock of your personal capability to derive success, satisfaction and reward from your business role and efforts.

(Were you at last week's PAX River NAS job fair, at the Southern Maryland Conference Center by J.T. Daugherty?) Were you prepared?

The truth is, with a little bit of business coaching you can learn how to revive your career, make some gains financially, and ultimately become more satisfied in your job…and Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia business coaching is readily available from a number of trained and qualified coaches.

Read more about this very important facet in your professional business development.

NAVAIR PAX River Job Fair in Southern Md - JT Daugherty Conference Center

2009-03-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

From the Baynet...

"In this down economy at a time when hundreds of thousands of Americans are losing their jobs and benefits on a daily basis, it is refreshing to know that The Naval Air Systems Command is hiring and hiring big.

On Thursday, March 19 at the J. T. Daugherty Conference Center in Lexington Park across from Gate 1 NAS PAX, NAVAIR Special Recruitment Branch is holding a job fair seeking 400 or more qualified scientists, engineers and business specialists to fill much needed vacancies.

The job fair will open at 10 a.m. and run strong until 6 p.m. in hopes of filling vacancies across the spectrum of hi-tech jobs. Prospects attending the job fair are encouraged to, “Become part of an organization that will let you make a difference to the country and the world. Discover the possibilities that a Civilian Career with the Department of the Navy can offer you.”

NAVAIR is seeking civilian scientists, engineers and business professionals for challenging assignments at Patuxent River, MD. Many positions will allow those hired to apply their skills to the acquisition and support of Naval Aviation.

“Challenges are unlimited as you and your team work to deliver state-of-the-art systems to the men and women defending our nation,” states the Sailor and Marine.

The demand will be high for degreed candidates with Science, Engineering and Business experience.

NAVAIR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information check out the NAVAIR flyer at http://www.navair.navy.mil/jobs/PaxJobFair-March1909.pdf "

A note from the JT Daugherty Southern Md Conference and Events Center and Cherry Cove Hospitality - come early, plan your time wisely, and carpool as possible - this event is already looking to be very well attended..

Overnight accommodations for the event are available at the co-located Lexington Park Hotel at the Hampton Inn, or at these other great Southern MD hotels.

Looking to refresh your technical resume? Try Federal technical resume review and repair at technicalresumes.net - quick turnaround and professional, federal technology expertise.

Southern Maryland Hotel Rooms - St. Mary's and Calvert Counties

2009-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

For those of you heading to Maryland or Southern Maryland for the Celebrate 375 Maryland festivities, or for any of the other great tourist destinations, events or Chesapeake Bay activities, here's a rundown on the very best Southern Maryland hotels and hotel rooms...

Hampton Inn, Waldorf
3750 Crain Highway
Waldorf, MD 20603
Phone: 301-632-9600
Fax: 301-632- 6209

Hilton Garden Inn, Solomons
13100 Dowell Road
Dowell, MD 20629
Phone: 301-866-2060

Hampton Inn, Lexington Park
22211 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Phone: 301-863-3200
Fax 301-863-7865

Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Lexington Park
22119 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Phone: 301-863-0203
Fax: 301-863-2113

Veterans Charity Raffles for Veteran Nonprofit Fundraising Efforts

2009-02-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Following up on our last post concerning Paws4People - there's a very special charity raffle underway to specifically benefit the "Paws4Vets" foundation, US military veterans and associated nonprofits.

Retired USAF Colonel Mike Turner remarks "Join me in helping paws4vets(TM) match trained Service Dogs to soldiers returning home with PTSD, brain injuries, blindness, physical disabilities and burns. In over ten years as a fundraiser for non-profits, I’ve never seen so much value added at every point in an altruistic program. Our wounded vets are thrown a lifeline to find their way back to their loved ones. The dogs, often rescued from certain death, are restored to health, cared for and loved for the rest of their lives. The prison inmates training the dogs for our soldiers get self-esteem and post-prison job opportunities for the first time in their lives. And this revolutionary way for all of us to support our vets also gives you extraordinary odds to win hundreds of prizes up to $1M."

Simply visit the Paws4Vets veterans charity raffle to buy raffle tickets, and support these worthy causes.

If you represent a Veterans charity or nonprofit of some kind, and want to learn more about raising money through nonprofit charity raffle fundraisers, contact I-raffles.org nonprofit fundraising solutions.

Paws for Raffles - A New Kind of Nonprofit Fundraising

2009-02-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a great story of a Loudoun County nonprofit service dog organization, "Paws4People.org", who are taking advantage of many converging factors that appear to result in the "perfect storm" for online charitable fundraising - using Internet-enabled social media and internet marketing to help promote their online Charitable Raffles. These raffles provide great returns, for no direct investment, and help all charities who participate. Read more at Gateway to Loudoun....

Miles River, Easton MD January Sunrise

2009-01-31T04:24:00.000-08:00

Cold and windy morning - but clear - a January morning on the Miles River, Easton, MD.

Chesapeake Ice - St. Jerome's Creek, MD

2009-01-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

There's a decent coating of tidal ice down here in St. Jerome's creek - about 2 inches think, but a bit slushy and carrying no more than 20-30 lbs or so...

Southern Maryland Weddings|Bridal Show Sunday 1/19 - JT Daugherty Conf. Ctr.

2009-01-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Southern Maryland Bridal Show, Sunday 1/19, 11:30 - 3PM - at the J.T. Daugherty Southern Maryland Conference Center, Lexington Park, MD (St. Mary's County). Right near the PAX River Naval Air Station Main Gate on Southbound Rt. 235.

Visit their website for additional Southern Maryland and St. Mary's County events, including an Inauguration Lunch, a Valentine's Day event and more...

St. Mary's County Economic Stimulus - from Local Businesses?

2009-01-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

In this business blog/article at the Loudoun Times, a local business challenges all other Loudoun County businesses to "step up" and promote, collectively, their own county - using their own websites and Internet assets. Simply by linking back to the county's core government economic development and tourism promotion websites, using words like "Loudoun County Business Environment", may help business, real estate and tourism investors find the County, and spend money.

This is a good idea for ANY county - including those here in Southern Maryland, i.e. Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties.

Southern Maryland Businesses - read the article, and take notice....link your sites or blogs back to the county's PR machine, at St. Mary's County Department of Economic Development.

Prime Time for Real Estate Investing - Southern Maryland and Northern Virginia

2009-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's now prime time for Southern Maryland Real Estate investing - for residents and businesses who've been sitting out the economic downturn, and are ready to put their sidelined cash to work.

While this article at Northern Virginia Real Estate Journal focuses on Northern Virginia real estate investing, it also speaks to the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed and Washington DC metro regional real estate environment.

Save the Chesapeake Bay with Alpacas in Southern Maryland?

2009-01-03T04:51:00.000-08:00

Couple of interesting, confluent articles in the Washington Post (WAPO) today.

First is the editorial entitled "Failure on the Chesapeake Bay", which very frankly segments the tasks required to clean up the Chesapeak Bay into four main areas - aggressively regulating farm runoff (of nitrogen-based pesticides and livestock waste), enforce maximums on daily loads of wastewater from municipalities and businesses allowed to be pumped into the Bay, limit the catch of oysters and crabs by Watermen, and mandating "green-building" techniques for new commercial and residential construction. While these task seem pretty straightforward and clear, there's a considerable lack of cross-the-board political will to create and enforce the absolute regulations (not negotiations) required.

The second article was about the Southern Maryland (Bushwood) "Moore or Less Farm", and Jim Moore's (owner) shift in farming operations away from production of traditional livestock (mostly raised for slaughter) to Alpacas...these llama-like animals are raised for their renewable wool, plus their much-reduced appetite for costly feed. The article further details how many farmers, seeking more profitable returns in the face of declining prices and increasing costs, are turning to greenhouse-grown vegetables, grain, specialty animals like the Alpacas, agri-tourism and jobs off the farm.

These two imperatives, to both "Save the Bay" and "Save the Farms" are inexorably intertwined, it's clear. Dramatic measures to cut back on pollution from farming may actually be already underway and made more tolerable, due in large part to the economic pressures already forcing farmers to convert to activities with less "nitrogen-footprint". Farms with smaller, fewer large animals, less insect and drought-intolerant crops, and more income fed by agro-tourism rather than fertilizer: these are farms better positioned to help save the Bay, for the benefit of everyone including the "aqua-farmers" (i.e. Watermen), who themselves may end up participating in more imaginative forms of aqua-culture as the EPA regulates and implements new methods of growing and sustaining underwater bay life.

It seems everyone can help, as well - we can help, for example, promote the agro-tourism part of the equation, by highlighting the great farms and agriculture-oriented tourism destinations in St. Mary's county and other Southern Maryland areas.

Check out the Southern Maryland Agriculture Development Commission site out to find details on these farms and things to to or visit. Also the Southern Maryland Trails site ("Earth, Art, Imagination"), with its "guide to all things handmade, home-grown, locally harvested and authentically Southern Maryland". On this site you'll find farms like "Moore or Less", featured in various ways including on the "Barnwood and Beach Glass" trail loop.

Happy 375th Birthday Year, Maryland!

2009-01-02T07:32:00.001-08:00

It was in 1634 when more than a hundred English settlers landed on a safe harbor in the Potomac River they named "St. Clement's Island." Every March 25 we celebrate Maryland Day at Colton's Point that looks out at the historical first landing site.

2009 should prove to be a very exciting year for Northern and Southern Maryland businesses, residents, organizations, tourists and visitors, as we observe the official "Celebrate 375 Maryland" events and pageantry!

Random Blog - Mennonite Photos in Southern Maryland

2008-12-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

Just ran across this nice blog entry about a visit through Old Order Mennonite country in Southern Maryland.

Pic from their blog:

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!

2008-12-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

From Ridge, MD, and other points in Southern Maryland, and Northern Virginia - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! Thank goodness the days will start getting longer...

January Southern Maryland 2009 Bridal Show and Inaugural Celebration in Lexington, Park MD.

2008-12-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

Two great events coming up at the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center, in Lexington Park, Southern Maryland - near the PAX River Naval Air Station in St. Mary's County...

2009 Southern Maryland Bridal Show, Sunday January 18, 2009, 11:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. FREE ADMISSION!!

Join the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center and a host of Service Providers for the 2009 Southern Maryland Bridal Show. Strolling Wedding Fashion Show for Bridal Gowns, Tuxedos and Attendants, Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres, Cake Tastings, Door Prizes and more.

Barack Obama 2009 Presidential Inaugural Celebration Luncheon in Southern Maryland

Join a Non-Partisan Gathering to Commemorate a Historic Moment, at the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center in Lexington Park, MD - Tuesday, January 20th, 11AM - 3PM.

Read more about the 2009 Southern Maryland Bridal Show and other Lexington Park events...

Need an Expedited US Passport or Visa for Upcoming International Holiday Travel?

2008-11-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

Getting away overseas this holiday season? If you don't already have your US Passport or Visa in hand, it's going to be very difficult. Fortunately, there's an entire industry waiting to serve your US Passport and Visa expediting needs.

The leading US Passport and Visa Expeditor is A Briggs, headquartered in Washington DC. A Briggs US Passport and Visa Expeditors secures expedited passports and travel visas for international travelers every day, and working with the U.S. Passport Agency and foreign embassies and consulates to secure passports and travel visas in as quickly as 24 hours.

The local passport and visa expediting company recently opened a new Chicago passport and visa expediting office, and is the only designated passport and visa provider of the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), that clears over $80 billion in airline ticket sales annually.

See more of their recent Washington DC business news...

Maryland 375 Celebration 2009 Coming!

2008-11-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

2009 will be an exciting year for Maryland, and in particular, Southern Maryland Businesses in Calvert and St. Mary's County taking part in the Celebrate 375 Maryland events.

As noted by the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce, "Over this past year, the tourism and hospitality industry, working with the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism and with assistance from the Chamber, developed the Celebrate 375 marketing campaign. The increasingly challenging economic outlook for 2009 makes this marketing effort critical for area businesses."

We're looking forward to helping "spread the word" about the fantastic businesses and business opportunities in Southern Maryland, including the PAX River Naval Air Station areas, regional business powerhouses such as Cherry Cove Hospitality, and other great members of the St. Mary's Chamber of Commerce.

For help with Southern Maryland Internet Marketing campaigns celebrating 375 years of Maryland's history, contact KME Internet Marketing - with Washington DC metropolitan regional offices in Loudoun County, VA and St. Mary's County, MD.

Northern Virginia Modern Moms Shopping/Fashion Night Out!

2008-10-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Looking for a great way to spend an afternoon up in Northern Virginia, doing some holiday shopping and getting totally pampered?

The most fabulous Northern Virginia Moms Night Out (MNO) “party for a cure” is coming up, this November 9th (Sunday), 3-8PM, at the Reston Hyatt (20 minutes west of DC on Rt. 267). All profits benefit the National Breast Cancer Research Institute!

I Am Modern Media (Media and Magazine for Modern Moms) - is throwing an extravagant party for Northern Virginia and Washington DC modern moms, complete with 2 Yummy “Moderntinis” (Pomegranate Martinis), “Swag Bags” worth over $250 (the swag bag alone is worth coming!), Delicious Appetizers, Dessert Bar, Shopping from Fabulous NOVA and DC local Vendors, Massages, Manicures/Pedicures, Hairstyling, Spa Treatments, Chocolate Sampling, Tasty Cakes, Treats and more!!!

Turn off the Redskins, get out the party togs, call up the girlfriends, and hustle on out to Reston for the modern women and moms party of the year, and an afternoon of great holiday shopping, fun and pampering!

Get advance Modern Mom’s Night Out tickets here….

PAX River Church Touring in St. Mary's County

2008-10-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's County is a wealth of very beautiful churches, as we toured this past Columbus Day weekend - for example this magnificent St. Mary's Holy Face Catholic Church (circa 1940) on Rt. 5 near Great Mills

More information about Holy Face St. Mary's Catholic Church

St. Mary's Lighthouses - Pt. Lookout and Piney Point Light Houses

2008-10-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here's some great pics showcasing two St. Mary's County Light Houses - the Pt. Lookout Lighthouse and Piney Point Lighthouse. The Piney Point Lighthouse is one of the oldest original lighthouses built along the Potomac. It's off of Rt. 5 just North of Great Mills.

New Bethesda MD Homes - Custom, Big, Amazing Value...

2008-09-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

From time to time, we some some really wonderful value in new, custom family homes - in this case, the highly sought-after neighborhood of Bethesda, MD in Montgomery County. These homes are extremely competitively priced for this neighborhood, and great location - near schools, businesses and convenient to all of Metro DC.

From Ingrid Myers, Realtor - Northern Virginia, Metro DC Maryland and Southern Maryland Real Estate...

"Here are a couple of my newest, most interesting Bethesda MD (Montgomery County) New Homes. Browse these great webpages and find out more about the Bethesda MD community altogether!

5909 Melvern, Bethesda MD, Montgomery County New Home

5912 Somoma, Bethesda MD, Montgomery County New Home

5909 Melvern Dr., Bethesda, MD

Lexington Park, Southern Maryland Hotels get Hi-Def TV

2008-09-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's finally arrived commercially in St. Mary's county, for travelers and visitors - the PAX River NAS hotels in Lexington Park, MD are getting Hi-Definition (Hi-Def) TV installed - per this announcement through Southern Maryland's Home Building and Hospitality business Cherry Cove.

Sotterley Riverside Wine Fest

2008-09-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

The Sotterley Riverside Wine Fest is coming up next weekend, October 4-5, Noon to 6PM.

Fabulous foods for purchase featuring such southern Maryland specialties as crab cakes, fried oysters, stuffed ham, pit roasted meats, freshly made ice cream and more.

Tours of Sotterley’s Mansion circa 1703 (fee).

Tours of Sotterley’s Colonial Revival Gardens given at no cost.

Wonderful live music both days!

Saturday, Oct. 4th:
Noon - 2 PM: The O'Neill Project
2 PM - 4 PM: Gary Rue and the Blue Crabs
4 PM - 6 PM: Diane Daly Trio

Sunday, Oct. 5th: Noon - 2 PM: Upstroke
2 PM - 4 PM: David Norris
4 PM - 6 PM: Gretchen Richie Jazz Cabaret

Wine Making and Wine Tasting demonstrations.

Artisan Vendors with fabulous hand-crafted items for purchase.

Children's games, crafts and activities.

Southern Maryland So Good will feature exhibits and great demos using
items freshly grown and harvested from our local farms and waters.

Sponsored by all the great Southern Maryland, St. Mary's County and PAX River area businesses, including the amazing Solomons Island, Southern Maryland hotel Hilton Garden Inn.

Southern Maryland Internet Marketing

2008-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Southern Maryland Internet Marketing - Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Social Media Marketing (SMM).

What do you do when you need to find something on the Internet?

In most cases, you go to one of the major search engines and type in the term or key words that you’re looking for and then click through the results. Sometimes you might go to a "bookmarking" site or local directory/discussion forum to search. But what if the first and second pages of results don’t give you the results you were looking for?

On the other end, what do you do to attract more visitors to your southern maryland business or organization's web site? What if you have the most attractive web site and yet no one can find you? Isn't it like decorating the front window of your shop, but locating it in an alley where nobody can see it?

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a marketing strategy that helps your web site be recognized and get on the first page of leading search engine sites, such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AOL. It is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or “algorithmic” search results for targeted key words. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search engine results pages or the higher it "ranks", the more searchers will visit that site.

In today’s fast-paced internet world where a web site can be the face of a brand’s identity, having your web site be optimized for search engine compatibility is not only important, but a necessity. Without good SEO, your website is lost among thousands of other web sites on the net.

We at KME Internet Marketing can help you achieve that goal and increase your web site’s “rank” by using SEO, SEM and SMM as a cost-effective and accessible tool to increase not only your online traffic, but target your audience and give your brand a high local, regional, national or international profile.

For the DC metro area and southern maryland in particular, we offer the most comprehensive, fast-developing and professional online marketing services available - out of our local office in Ridge, MD. Read more about DC metro and Southern Maryland SEO/SEM at our blog.

St. Mary's County Fair - Southern Maryland

2008-09-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to get over to the St. Mary's County Fair this weekend!

Since 1947, the St. Mary's County Fair features fun for the entire family including children's activities, livestock competitions and exhibits, home arts, garden exhibits, arts and crafts, farm museum, carnival, horse shows, music, parade, entertainment, commercial vendors selling their wares, a wide variety of food and attractions.

Thu Sept 18 - Sun Sept 21, 2008, at the Saint Mary's County Fairgrounds.

Route 5 across from the Leonardtown High School
Just south of Leonardtown, Md.

42455 Fairgrounds Road
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Are Southern Maryland Moms for Palin/McCain - or Obama/Biden?

2008-09-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Noticed this succinct post in about Palin in Virginia and here regarding Moms for Palin - are Southern Maryland Moms, Dads, Families leaning Palin or Biden?

New Local Marketing Director for Cherry Cove Hospitality

2008-09-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

A new Marketing Director was recently announced for Southern Maryland and St. Mary's County's most comprehensive and uniquely local business and hospitality services provider for Maryland Land Development, Custom and Modular Homes, Hotels, Apartments, Conference Space, Office Rentals and Storage Units - Cherry Cove Hospitality.

Per this Washington DC Business Services article, Kelly Tygrett recently joined the Lexington Park (PAX River NAS area) Cherry Cove Hospitality team.

Tygrett has over 16 years of communications and marketing , with specific expertise in managing events, conferences and trade shows. Previously, she worked for the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, St. Mary’s County.

Looking for a St. Mary's County Hotel Room - PAX River Naval Air Station area?

2008-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

We and family members have stayed for various reasons in Southern Maryland hotels, in St. Mary's and Calvert counties - while the house was being built, when the house overflowed, etc. Our absolute favorite, in terms of convenience, price and great service, is the Lexington Park Hampton Inn - right across from the PAX River Naval Air Station main gate on Rt. 235 smack in the middle of Lexington Park.

Other recommended area PAX River hotels to book a room in St. Mary's county or Calvert county include:

Hampton Inn, Waldorf Maryland
3750 Crain Highway
Waldorf, MD 20603
Phone: 301-632-9600

Hilton Garden Inn, Solomons Island, Maryland
13100 Dowell Road
Dowell, MD 20629
Phone: 301-866-2060

Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Lexington Park
22119 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Phone: 301-863-0203

St. Mary's College - Historical St. Mary's City Maryland

2008-09-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful Labor Day in Southern Maryland - took a look around the Historic St. Mary's City area near St. Mary's College (on the western side of the southern maryland penninsula off Rt. 5, across from the PAX River Naval Air Station, which is on the eastern side, off Rt. 235/Rt. 4) - nice cool weather made for lots of poking around and not too much complaining from the kids...

Celebrate 375 years of Maryland (MD) History

2008-08-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Our friends over in Loudoun County, VA have hopped on board the Celebrate 375 bandwagon, encouraging interest and visits over to St. Mary's County for the MD 375 celebration - celebration of Maryland's founding, centered in St. Mary's county.

"Did you know – Maryland will be celebrating its 375th birthday next year, 2009. “MD375” or “Celebrate 375” activities and events, as they’re known, will take place all over the state – though the focal point will be St. Mary’s county – a.k.a. “Maryland’s Birthplace”. “Celebrate 375” is in fact the official name of the Celebrate Maryland 2009 program underway by the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism, headquartered in Leonardtown, MD – in the “PAX River” area of Southern Maryland."

Read more about Celebrate Maryland's 375th....

Beautiful August in St. Mary's County

2008-08-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend in St. Mary's - more like October weather than August...

PAX River Naval Air Station Job Fair!

2008-08-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Look for the upcoming PAX River Naval Air Station Job Fair -

August 26, 3PM-7PM, at the J.T. Daugherty PAX River Naval Air Station area Conference Center in Lexington Park, MD (St. Mary's County, PAX River area).

Arrival Time for Employers: 2:00 - 2:45
Arrival Time for Job Seekers: 3:00 - 7:00

2111 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD

Typically 45-65 companies; 600-800 plus job candidates.

Short List of Confirmed Companies:

HIGHLIGHTS OF CONFIRMED COMPANIES

- AMELEX
- BAE SYSTEMS
- BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON
- CALVERT SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
- CAMBER CORPORATION
- DCS CORPORATION
- DEVRY UNIVERSITY
- EG&G TECHNICAL SERVICES
- ITT CORPORATION, Advanced Engineering & Sciences (AES)
- JOHNSON CONTROLS
- NAVAIR HUMAN RESOURCES
- NAVY ENGINEERING LOGISTICS OFFICE (NELO)
- NORTHROP GRUMMAN
- PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE
- QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA, MISSION SOLUTIONS GROUP
- STRAYER UNIVERSITY
- UGL UNICCO

**Volunteer sought for PAX River-area blog contributions; we help promote you, and likely longer-term SEO/SEM freelancing opportunities as well! Use form at http://www.kmeinternetmarketing.com.

Summer in St. Mary's County - PAX River children's activities

2008-08-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous summer in the Southern Maryland, St. Mary's county PAX River area near the Naval Air Station - we highly, highly recommend activities as pictured below; the Summer Sailing Day Camp for kids 8-18, at Solomons Island Southern Maryland Sailing Association (Pax River area). Great instructors, protected area, a long list of boating safety, sailing and teamwork activities and instruction, plus swimming and ice cream! For more relaxation, St. Mary's County Lexington Park library offers a great selection of summer reading old (Nancy Drew!) and new, plus an extensive DVD collection. Pt. Lookout National park at the tip of St. Mary's county where the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers meet the Chesapeake Bay has great beaches, fishing pier, picnic site - perfect for a day with the kids, and preparation for some serious crab-catching later as the Jimmies run!

PAX River Government Contractor Services

2008-07-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ever notice the densely-packed, sleek office buildings on Rt. 235 near Lexington Park and the PAX River Naval Air Station (NAS)? Most of these are occupied by government contractors, supporting the NAS in everything from human resources to critical aviation engineering and computer systems maintenance. Companies like Lockheed Martin, NAVAIR, BAE Systems, SAIC, Veridian Engineering, DynCorp, ManTech, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sabre Systems, Eagan McAllister, and many others.

We'll point out that the Naval Air Station is the largest employer in our area (hosting over 17,000 personnel, with many more times as much related businesses in the surrounding area), and so many defense contractors coming in and out of the area on long or short-term contracts obviously need quick turnaround when finding Lexington Park apartments, houses, housing contractors, temporary or permanent office space, and storage units.

We can recommend a few long-time, local businesses that cater to PAX River contractor staff, like those from the companies listed above. For example:

PAX River Hotels
Southern Maryland Conference Center Services
Naval Air Station Apartments
PAX River NAS Self Storage

PAX River Fourth of July

2008-07-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

A bit wet for a PAX River Fourth of July - the St. Mary's College River Concert Series "A Jazzy 4th" was a fantastic performance, with Jeff Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra safely ensconsed under the performance tent, while some drenching thunderstorms had most scurrying for cover, umbrellas or tents...the storms let up just in time for the 1812 overture, and great fireworks over St. Mary's River by 9:15 or so...here's a nice shot from the weekend near the St. Jerome's creek inlet...

Recent St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce Awards

2008-06-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

As reported by SoMDNews.com (Southern Maryland Newspapers Online), the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce recently (May 21st) recognized several local success stories.

These local successes are indicative of the growing commercial base and opportunities for businesses in the area, bolstered by continuing growth and prominence of the PAX River Naval Air Station and region.

"Businesses were nominated by other chamber members for four major awards – the Lighthouse Award, the Beacon Award, the Emerging Business Award and the Community Service Award, based on slightly varying criteria for each."

For example, Cherry Cove Southern Maryland Hospitality was recognized with the Chamber's "Lighthouse Award", which recognizes a company that's been "in business at least four years and has 16 or more employees, has demonstrated revenue growth and job creation, has been recognized for excellence in their industry, has innovative products, customer services, management and marketing practices and has good involvement in the community."

"Headed now in Lexington Park, Cherry Cove was founded in 1977 by Tom Waring with the development of several residential projects near Leonardtown. In 1979, the company recognized the need for affordable housing for military families and opened the Lord Calvert community in Great Mills. In 1983, St. Mary’s tourism was increasing and as a result, Cherry Cove built the Patuxent Inn, a 120-room hotel with a restaurant and lounge on Route 235, which the company owned until 1995. In 1985, the company built and managed Indian Bridge PAX River Apartments, a 112-unit apartment complex in Great Mills. Base realignment and closure decisions of the late 1990s significantly enhanced the economy, and Cherry Cove Hospitality embarked on a series of hotel development and management projects that would add nearly 400 hotel rooms in the Pax River region, like the Hampton Inns in Lexington Park and Waldorf, the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center and the Fairfield Inn in Lexington Park, and recently, the Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons, which was awarded the Hilton brand’s Ramp-Up Award for 2007"

The other winners included Printing Press Inc. in Leonardtown, Anita’s Wedding Cake Company in Lexington Park, and Outback Steakhouse in California.

PAX Naval Air Station Museum Photos

2008-06-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Took some photos Memorial Day weekend - of the popular "upside-down" plane and helicopter, along with the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Museum (which is under some significant renovation and construction, currently).

Patuxent River Online Blogging

2008-05-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here we'll blog about interesting events, businesses, news and entertainment in the Patuxent River (PAX River) area of Southern Maryland (SOMD), near the PAX River Naval Air Station - in particular from our location down in Ridge, MD, on St. Jerome's Creek. Much more to come!