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Stay Informed with New
Emergency Notification System
Calvert County Government implemented a new notification system July 4 to notify citizens and businesses about various emergency and non-emergency situations.
The new Calvert County ALERT system replaces the county's previous notification system, CodeRED, and allows county agencies to better communicate with thousands of residents and businesses within minutes in the event of an emergency.
With the Calvert County ALERT system, Calvert County Government will be able to alert residents about severe weather, fires, floods and other emergencies. Messages can be sent through cell phones, landlines, email, text messages, fax, pagers and more - ensuring that residents and county staff can receive life-saving emergency information and important public service announcements in minutes. More than one of each device can be registered.
Residents who had previously registered for the CodeRED system need to create a new profile in the new Calvert County ALERT system to continue receiving messages via methods other than a published telephone number.
Citizens listed in the county's 911 database will be automatically subscribed to alerts by landline. Individuals are encouraged to self-register to provide additional contact information or opt out. Users can change their profiles or opt out of the system at any time.
Residents are urged to visit the county website and click on the Emergency Alerts link on the left to register for the notification service. Those without Internet access can call 410-535-1600, ext. 2638, to sign up. |
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Education, Prevention Are Keys
to Curbing Mosquito Population
They're tiny. They're annoying. And they're even dangerous.
 | | Sonja Gatton counts mosquitos from a pile of insects that were collected in a trap. |
With two full-time staff members and six seasonal employees, the small program has a big impact on the county's pest control. In addition to mosquitos in residential areas, employees also deal with any pest control needed in county government buildings.
During the summer, though, the focus is mosquitos. Through a series of measures, the program aims to limit the proliferation of the insects in each step of their development.
A weekly cycle of treatment and prevention begins each Sunday. Representatives from many of the county's neighborhoods set out traps near their homes to attract and collect insects. The traps are gathered on Monday mornings by county staff. Sonja Gatton's responsibility each Monday is to sort through the insects in the traps and count mosquitos, sorting them by gender and species. The data she collects determine whether a neighborhood gets sprayed for mosquitos that week.
"This helps determine where they're coming from so we can stop the next brood," said Bill Clay, mosquito program supervisor.
Early each spring, community representatives request summer mosquito spraying. Community residents pay half the cost of labor for spraying and county government pays the rest.
 | | James Buckmaster applies a biological treatment to prevent the growth of mosquitos. |
There is more to mosquito control than a spray truck. Preventive measures are more effective and everyone can play a part. By eliminating standing water, residents can keep mosquitos from breeding. Everything from tires to wheelbarrows to a bird bath can become a breeding ground for mosquitos.
"All it takes is a spot the size of a bottle cap filled with water," said Barbara Carlough, a mosquito program employee.
Prevention is Key
The mosquito control program also has other measures at its disposal.
A biological treatment is spread in marshy areas to prevent larvae from turning into viable adults that can reproduce. Other larvacides can be dropped in places with significant standing water like drainage ditches and storm water ponds.
For residents who have storm water ponds or decorative ponds, the county offers an alternative to chemicals: the gambusia holbrooki. These small fish are native to Maryland and eat mosquito larvae right out of the water. Residents can request the fish and will receive an assessment of their need, as well as a quick check of their property, to see where mosquitos might be breeding.
The last resort for ridding residential areas of mosquitos is the spray truck. There are five seasonal employees driving the trucks at night. The chemical is only useful for about 15 minutes and kills the mosquitos only if they fly directly through the fog. For those reasons, Clay and Carlough like to focus on preventive measures.
Get Help with Mosquitos
Clay and Carlough are happy to help any resident who needs it. They will bring gambusia holbrooki to homes, assess backyards and look for trouble areas.
Email or call 410-535-6924 for help. Information is available on the program website for a community to request mosquito spraying.
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Buy Local Agriculture Week is July 20-28
Calvert County will join the state of Maryland in celebrating the bounty of local agricultural products July 20-28 by highlighting the benefits of buying local products from area farms, farmers markets and farm stands.
 As part of the week's celebrations, residents can shop at a temporary green produce stand on the lawn of the Circuit Court on Main Street in Prince Frederick, 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Residents are also reminded to visit the county's farmers markets during this week and throughout the summer:
- Tuesdays, 3 to 7 p.m., Calvert Memorial Hospital parking lot in Prince Frederick;
- Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., on the Solomons Riverwalk;
- Fridays, 6 to 9 p.m., at 5th and 7th streets and Bay Avenue, North Beach; and
- Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to noon, at the Calvert County Fairgrounds, Prince Frederick.
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Calvert County Businesses Invited
to Participate in County Job Fair
Calvert County businesses once again have the opportunity to recruit local job seekers at the 2013 Calvert County Job Fair. This annual event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the College of Southern Maryland in the new Building B.
The Job Fair is co-sponsored by the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.
Registration for the event is free and limited to the Calvert County business community. Businesses should be actively seeking employees for full- or part-time work; multi-level marketing organizations and businesses are not permitted. Registration includes a six-foot table and two chairs, company listing in the event brochure and two tickets for light refreshments. Registration deadline is Sept. 4.
For more information, or to register for this event, please contact the Calvert County Department of Economic Development at 410-535-4583, via email or visit online. |
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What's Happening in Calvert County
July 19
Art Blooms Gala Reception
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center,
Solomons
July 19
Nature's Night Sounds
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Prince Frederick
July 20
Guided Canoe Trip
Warrior's Rest Sanctuary, American Chestnut Land Trust,
Port Republic
July 20
Forest, Field & Creek Hike
Biscoe Gray Heritage Farm,
Prince Frederick
July 20
Sunset in the Tropics Cruise Aboard the Historic Wm. B. Tennison
Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons
July 20
Movie on the Beach:
"Puss in Boots"
www.northbeachmd.org
North Beach
July 21
Sunday Afternoon with the Pattersons Tour
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum,
St. Leonard
Thursdays through Sundays in August
Rock the Dock Summer Concert Series
Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa,
Chesapeake Beach
Aug. 1, 2, 8, 15, 22 and 29
Tour of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum,
St. Leonard
Aug. 2
WWII USO Remembrance
Solomons Riverwalk
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
Friday Night Farmers Market, Classic Car Cruise-in and Art Fair
North Beach
Friday, Aug. 2
Concert: Bad Company
Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons
Aug. 3
Maker's Market
Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center,
Dowell
Aug. 3
Guided Canoe Trip
Warrior's Rest Sanctuary, American Chestnut Land Trust, Port Republic
Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31
Live Music Saturday
Running Hare Vineyard,
Prince Frederick
Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25
Live Music Sunday
Running Hare Vineyard,
Prince Frederick
Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25
Rock the Dock Summer Concert Series
Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa,
Chesapeake Beach
Aug. 8
Bay Breeze Concert Series: The U.S. Naval Academy Band, "Commandant's Combo"
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum,
Chesapeake Beach
Aug. 11
Sunday Afternoon with the Pattersons Tour
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum,
St. Leonard
Aug. 16
Annmarie After Hours: Small Works Exhibition and Sale
Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center,
Dowell
Aug. 17
Lighthouse Adventure Cruises
Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons
Aug. 17
Movie on the Beach: "Yogi Bear"
North Beach
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Solid Waste Fees Increase
Solid waste fees have increased for all solid waste from commercial customers, Calvert County residents and out-of-county customers.
New tip fees apply to chargeable loads of solid waste brought to the Appeal Landfill. The following tip fees (the cost per ton of solid waste disposed of at the transfer station or in the landfill) became effective July 1, 2013:
- All out-of-county and commercial customers: $76.37 per ton (up from $74.70)
- Calvert County residents with chargeable loads: $68.74 per ton (up from $67.23)
Calvert County residents are not charged for bagged household waste, metal or other items separated for recycling.
The solid waste fee, charged per household or business and billed annually on property tax bills, will increase from $115 to $117. The fee funds county solid waste handling and disposal operations, including the county's seven solid waste convenience centers and the Appeal Landfill.
For more information, contact the Calvert County Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division at 410-326-0210, email Solid Waste Division Chief
Michael Thomas, or visit online.
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