New section of Indian Head Rail Trail opens on Bensville

NEWS OF NOTE

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

One crossing — in the 6800 block of Bensville Road — is located at the bottom of a hill where the old railroad tracks crossed the highway.

Although the speed limit in that area ranges from 30 mph to 40 mph, the crossing is preceded by a sharp curve and slope on the west side of the road and a gradual slope in the east bound travel portion of the roadway, making speed a concern.

Once an abandoned railroad corridor, the Indian Head Rail Trail is being converted into a 13 mile-bike trail eventually connecting the town of Indian Head to U.S. 301 in White Plains, according to a press release. There will be a total of 12 road crossings associated with the trail. Theodore Green Boulevard, Middletown Road, Mattingly Avenue, Indian Head Avenue, Blair Road, Woodland Drive and Arthur Ross Place are already open.

The other crossings — Bumpy Oak Road and routes 227, 224 and 225 — are scheduled to open later this year.

The sheriff's office is working with the county Department of Public Facilities and the State Highway Administration to help ensure safe operations in and around the crossings.

Temporary speed trailers will be placed near the crossings to warn people of their speed and the upcoming crossing. Officers will be conducting speed enforcement, including radar, in the area to remind drivers to slow down, obey the speed limit and be on the alert for bicyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists are reminded that they operate under Maryland law, meaning they have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of cars, including stopping at red lights and stop signs, some of which are located at the exit of trails before a roadway crossing.

For more information on, including the terrain, routes and crossings, go to www.charlescountyparks.com.

Baseball all-stars to play for charity

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are hosting a benefit game July 11 to raise funds for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

The U.S. Military all-stars will take a team of Latin American all-stars at 6:35 p.m. July 11, with fireworks after the game, at Regency Furniture Stadium at 11765 St. Linus Drive in Waldorf.

Project Healing Waters is dedicated to the helping rehabilitate wounded active duty U.S. armed forces members through fly fishing and fly tying. The charity has been featured on CNN and on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program, according to a press release.

"Speaking for the Project Healing Waters organization, we are most grateful for the enthusiastic support that the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have extended to our project by hosting this … ballgame," charity President Ed Nicholson, a retired U.S. Navy captain, said in the release.

Tickets to the game are $8, with $4 from every ticket going directly to Project Healing Waters.  Tickets are free for active duty military and their dependents with valid identification.

The military all-stars are all active duty members of the U.S. armed forces, serving in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard and Navy.

Project Healing Waters has strong local ties.

"When our organization incorporated as a nonprofit we did it in Maryland and chose our headquarters to be in La Plata. We are now a national organization with over 70 programs in operation at VA hospitals and other military posts, but our roots remain here in this area — even more reason that we are so excited about the July 11 benefit game. We hope to see a packed ballpark." Nicholson said in the release.

For tickets, call the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at 301-638-9788 or go to SOMDBlueCrabs.com or USMilitaryAllStars.us. For more information on Project Healing Waters, go to ProjectHealingWaters.org.

Get the bugs out of the garden

Charles County Cooperative Extension will sponsor workshop on using integrated Pest Management to keep insect pests at bay in gardens from 7 to 9 p.m. July 16 at the extension office, 9375 Chesapeake St. No. 119, La Plata. Learn about the 10 most common insects and diseases that infest vegetables, how to tell the good bugs from the bad bugs, and what to do to get rid of the bad bugs and keep them out.Registration is free but seating is limited. Call the extension office at 301-934-5403.

July 4 celebration and watermelon bash planned in La Plata

La Plata is sponsoring a Fourth of July celebration and Watermelon Bash from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 4 at town hall at 305 Queen Anne St. The event will include free musical entertainment, kids' activities, hot dogs, bottled water and ice cream.

The watermelon event will feature free watermelon slices, a watermelon eating contest, a watermelon roll for kids 5 and younger and a watermelon toss.

Call Amy Pena at 301-934-8421 or apena@townoflaplata.org.

When in Rome

Good Samaritan Presbyterian Church in Waldorf is taking registrations now for its intergenerational vacation Bible school which will run from July 20 to 24.

The whole family can travel the ancient city of Rome without setting foot outside of the community.

Each day, family members will become part of history as they see, hear, touch and even taste what it was like to live in Rome during Biblical times. Explore authentic marketplace shops, visit the Apostle Paul, sneak into an underground church meeting, play games and sing. For those wishing a little less chaos, there will be discussions about Paul.

Each evening's activities will begin with dinner at 5:30 p.m. followed by the program at 6:15 p.m.

The program is free but registration is requested. Call the church at 301-843-1335 or 301-645-4134. The church is at 13025 Good Samaritan Drive across from Longwood Gardens.

Craft fair scheduled

The Charles County Department of Community Services will hold its annual craft fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Richard R. Clark Senior Center at 1210 Charles St. in La Plata.

Handmade items, gift items, art and more by local crafters and artists will be on display and for sale. It will be held rain or shine.

Call Judy Tunney, craft fair coordinator, at 301-259-2816 or go to www.charlescounty.org/cs. Kiwanians schedule speakers

The Waldorf Kiwanis meet from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. each Wednesday in the Waldorf Comfort Suites' conference room at 11765 Business Park Drive at U.S. 301 and Acton Lane in Waldorf.

The speaker at the June 24 meeting will be Kelly Jennings, executive director of the Catherine Foundation, who will discuss the group's work in the community.

On July 1, Marise Robertson will discuss the Top Banana organization and its service to the community.

There is a $5 meeting fee for each meeting that includes breakfast. Call 301-609-8262.

Meissner to compete in Hooters pageant

On June 20, a local Hooters waitress will represent the Waldorf area at the 13th Annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant in Hollywood, Fla.

Jessica Meissner, who works at the Hooters on Crain Highway in Waldorf, will compete against more than 130 Hooters girls from all over the world for $150,000 in cash and prizes awarded that night.

The event will be broadcast live to all Hooters restaurants in the country and streamed live at Hooters.com beginning at 7 p.m. June 20.

"The night of the swimsuit pageant is a great time to head to Hooters for a bite to eat and to cheer on the girls," Alexis Aleshire, public relations manager for Hooters, said in a press release. "I am confident [Meissner has] a good chance of being crowned Miss Hooters International 2009."

The winner of the 13th annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant will take home $50,000 cash with her crown and be featured in the Hooters Magazine, Hooters Calendar and in national television commercials.

All-Stars coming to town

The baseball prospects of tomorrow are coming to Regency Furniture Stadium on July 15.

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs host the all-stars of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League as they take on the all-stars from the Valley Baseball League at 7:05 p.m.

Admission to the game is free. The game will be televised live on MASN, the cable TV network that broadcasts Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games.

The two leagues are summer collegiate circuits that use wood bats and play in June and July while the players are on break from school. The players are from college teams from all over the country, including several Division I prospects.

The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League was founded in 2005, and is named after former Baltimore Orioles manager and father of Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr. Its teams are located in Maryland and Virginia, and include the Alexandria Aces, Bethesda Big Train, College Park Bombers, Herndon Braves, Maryland Redbirds, Rockville Express, Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts and Youse's Orioles.

The Valley Baseball League plays its games in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and includes the Covington Lumberjacks, Fauquier Gators, Front Royal Cardinals, Harrisonburg Turks, Haymarket Senators, Luray Wranglers, New Market Rebels, Rockbridge Rapids, Staunton Braves, Waynesboro Generals, Winchester Royals and the Woodstock River Bandits.

No tickets are required to attend the game. The night's festivities will begin with a home-run derby at 5:30 p.m., with the game starting at 7:05. The gates at Regency Furniture Stadium will open at 4:30 p.m. The stadium is at 11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf.

Take a trip

Charles County Parks and Recreation Department is offering two trips coming up soon.

A trip to Harpers Ferry, W.Va., is set for Sept. 19. Take a guided tour that will give participants a history of the area as well as abolitionist John Brown's famous Harpers Ferry raid. Cost is $98 and lunch is not included. Registration deadline is Aug. 19.

A Sept. 26 trip will go to the U.S. Capitol, the White House visitors center and the American History Museum in Washington, D.C. The trip fee is $43 per person. No meals included. Registration deadline is Sept. 8.

Call 301-934-9305.