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President's Message
Dear Member,
This has been an eventful period for the property owners at Deep Creek Lake. First, the less than factual statements relative to the lake draw-down commencing after Autumn Glory to facilitate the repairs to the valves/gates at the dam and power plant. There was never any intent to take the level below the Lower Rule Band (LRB) for October. These repairs have been postponed until approximately January, 2013. However along came Sandy, the hurricane and MDE authorized a draw-down BELOW the LRB to provide a safety margin for potential heavy rains from the storm. Instead, we received over two feet of very heavy wet snow and strong winds. This snow was very good at sticking to trees etc. and many trees and limbs succumbed resulting in extensive power losses and road blockages. Many of us entered November with no electricity. However since Garrett County is experienced in strong weather, recovery is proceeding well.
An update: As you may recall, your DCL POA board petitioned the County Commissioners and the Planning and Land Development Office for changes in the way the Ordinances are modified (this resulted from the authorization of Personal Watercraft Rentals from a new facility at the Creamery on route 219). The Commissioners responded to the POA request as follows: 1) The commissioners do not feel that they have the authority to impose a moratorium on modifications to the Ordinances since that is defined by existing codes; 2) The commissioners believe that current procedures allow for extended review processes as needed. And 3) the Commissioners agreed to notify all interested parties (as outlined by the POA petition) of proposed changes to the Ordinances. A lawsuit was brought by a couple of local full service marina owners and a trial is scheduled for early December, 2012, regarding the legality of the proceeding and to nullify the license for additional PWC rentals. We will provide those results when they are available.
It is a great loss that Barry Weinberg is stepping down from the DCL POA and membership on the Policy and Review Board (that advises the Department of Natural Resources). Barry has been a creative force in both of these roles and we will miss him immensely. Bob Hoffmann will replace Barry as our representative to the Policy and Review Board.
Sincerely,
Troy Ellington
President, POA of DCL, Inc.
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WHAT IS THE POA AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
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 Earlier this year, the Board of Directors of the POA amended the by-laws to create a new position of emeritus director, a position for which any past president of the association is eligible. I am looking forward to taking that emeritus status when my present term comes to an end next September. I have been on the POA Board for more than thirty years, including a term as its President from 1998 to 2001. As I near the end of my service as a regular member of the Board, I have been asked to describe what the POA is and why it is important?
The Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake, Inc., was granted a corporate charter by the State of Maryland on January 31, 1949. In fact, it existed prior to that date, although not incorporated. It is governed by an eighteen-member Board of Directors, and I am currently serving as Senior Vice President. During the years of my Board service, I have gone from being a practicing lawyer in Montgomery County, Maryland, to becoming a United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, a position that I have now held for nine years.
During my service on the Board, the POA has accomplished many things for the benefit of its members, and I am proud to have been a part of a number of them. The POA is an open, democratic institution and holds membership meetings twice a year that are open to the public as well as Board meetings that are open to the POA membership. The Board is elected by the members and over the years the leadership of the POA has forged long term and close working relationships with all of the entities having any responsibility for Deep Creek Lake.
The development of close working relationships is not something that happens overnight, and it is important to maintain those relationships and keep open lines of communication.
The agency having the largest responsibility in relation to Deep Creek Lake is the Department of Natural Resources. For many years prior to the State's acquisition of the lake, the Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake had a designated member on a DNR advisory body pertaining to the governance of the lake. The role of that body, however, was changed dramatically in connection with the acquisition of Deep Creek Lake by the State of Maryland.Prior to the acquisition of the lake, the advisory committee was just that, i.e., advisory, and it had no real role other than that of an advisor. When the process began for acquiring Deep Creek Lake (a process prompted by the POA's proposal to the Maryland General Assembly that a special taxing district be created to acquire the lake), the POA worked with DNR officials and State legislators to establish a new Policy and Review Board which, by statute, still includes a member, ex officio, designated by the Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake. Of greater importance, however, is the fact that the legislation adopted contemporaneously with the acquisition of Deep Creek Lake provided that no regulation affecting the lake, nor any fee, may be established without the review and approval of the Policy and Review Board.
The POA also worked closely with DNR officials in connection with the acquisition of the lake and, working with the late Eugene Lynch, Secretary of the Department of General Services, we were able to negotiate conditions under which property owners could "buy down" excess land between their property and the buffer strip. Also of importance is the fact that the POA was successful in convincing the State to include in the buy down process the right of a property owner, whose well or septic system later fails, to extend a septic system into the buy down parcel subject, however, to ordinary Health Department approvals.
The POA has also worked diligently to establish good working relationships with the County Commissioners. POA officers meet on a regular basis with the County Commissioners, and a number of past and present Board members have served the county government in a variety of capacities to foster a close and respectful relationship. Most recently, past President Lou Battistella was reappointed to serve on the Garrett County Local Emergency Planning Committee as a representative of the County Emergency Services Board. In addition, the POA has hosted two Workshops, one in December 2010 and the other in December 2011. The purpose of these successful gatherings was to bring together representatives of those organizations who care about a healthy lake and to improve communication between and among these groups.
The POA has provided funding for the Annual Fireworks Display, the purchase of defibrillators for all Sheriff's Department cruisers, and has contributed to the cost of gypsy moth spraying and to the cost of Phase II of the DNR Sedimentation Study of the lake.
In my judgment, Deep Creek Lake is one of the most shining jewels in the State of Maryland, and I am pleased to have maintained a second home there for over thirty-five years. No lake the size of Deep Creek Lake is without any problems whatsoever, and the POA has not been hesitant in addressing problems as they arise.
There are other organizations, both business and civic, that have an interest in Deep Creek Lake, and the more organizations advocating for the lake, the better. The POA has been, and will continue to be, the largest organization by membership advocating for the lake, and I look forward to my successor directors continuing this vital advocacy role for many years to come. -- Roger Titus, Senior Vice President
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9-1-1 HELPS POA MEMBERS
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 At the General Membership Meeting on August 25, 2012, a presentation and request was made by fire chiefs from two of the eleven volunteer fire companies that serve Garrett County. Three of these all volunteer fire companies provide the primary coverage for the lake area. We thank those chiefs and all of the fire companies and each one of the "volunteers"(i.e. NOT paid) who so willingly put themselves at risk to protect us and our property. What can we do to show our appreciation for their efforts? The fire chiefs who spoke at the meeting made several suggestions which are sensible, easy to do and very inexpensive. Support their fund drives with your contribution each year to fund their equipment, maintenance and firehouse needs. Invest in a Knox-Box� (http://www.knoxbox.com). This is the most secure way to grant the fire company personnel access to your home when a fire call has been made for your property. Make sure your smoke detectors and central station alarm systems are tested and up to date. If you are experiencing false alarms find out why and correct the problem. Prevent the 'cry wolf' syndrome! Make sure that there is year round clear access to your property. Very expensive, very large and very heavy fire apparatus respond to each and every call that comes into the 9-1-1 call center. This equipment is generally 12 feet wide and perhaps as tall so getting into narrow tree lined gravel road ways and private lanes and drive ways is a challenge which slows their response in arriving at your home. Work with your neighbors and association owners to make sure that the access to your home(s) is clear for these and other vehicles. Prominently display your 9-1-1 street address on your mailbox or a sign at the entrance to your property. So, what is a 9-1-1 street address? It is the specific street address developed in the early 90's for all Garrett County properties. And for that matter what's the 9-1-1 dock number? In 2009, Brad Frantz, Garrett County's Director of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management approached Carolyn Matthews, DNR Lake Manager suggesting that a 9-1-1 numbering system be developed for the dock numbers which would be tied to the 9-1-1 street address system then in place. He developed and they jointly instituted this system which is the first and perhaps only such unified working system in North America. When the North American Lake Management Society (https://www.nalms.org ) was approached as part of the research for this article they did not know of any successfully installed and working system that ties dock location to the nearest 9-1-1 street address. Garrett County's Division of Public Safety Communications operates a state of the art 9-1-1 call center that will handle over 100,000 emergency fire dispatch, emergency medical dispatch and emergency police dispatch calls in 2012. This consolidated call center opened in 2011, located in the Garrett County Court House has a record of being the first center in the state to provide many key services that are now standard for most centers. When you call 9-1-1 from your land line, your VOIP (computer or cable company phone system or your cell phone) the call is answered by a trained, paid professional who is in front of one of four consoles in the call center. There are multiple keyboards, mice, head sets, computer screens for their use in processing a call. The digital and GPS technology now allows the display of specific details about the call and caller's location. One screen displays a map that is significantly more detailed than the computer maps you can use on your computer. The center has at least two operators on duty around the clock. So what do the operators do in processing a call? They ask specific questions to obtain as much information as possible to assist the personnel who are dispatched. They offer specific approved advice like how to administer CPR while the EMT's are in route. They dispatch the appropriate services - EMT, Fire, Police, medical helicopters, etc. They stay with the caller as long as necessary. These operators in this center handle all calls for all emergency services in Garrett County. Future Dispatch articles will trace the history of 9-1-1 services in Garrett County including several services that were the first to be offered in a rural call center. The POA thanks and supports these operators and the Garrett County government for providing this service to the residents and visitors to this area! -- Ed Neff
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POA BOARD BUILDS GIS ANALYSIS CAPABILITY
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 One of the primary functions of the Board of the Deep Creek Lake Property Owners' Association is to provide its members with accurate and timely information regarding critical issues pertaining to the lake. Your Board has been very engaged in this area recently, with activities ranging from organizing stakeholder workshops to our financial contribution to the second phase of the Water Quality Study being performed by the DNR. The investment we made in the water quality study is starting to pay off. High quality data that have never been collected at Deep Creek Lake are beginning to be released by the DNR: digitized depth measurements, scans and core samples of the lake bottom and water quality samples from all around the lake. Our problem now is almost the reverse of before: we are now at risk of having too much data and a lack of means to understand it. In order to be able to view, process, and understand much of this high-quality, geo-located data, your Board has invested in a geographic information system (GIS) software package. GIS software allows users to view, manipulate and analyze data that includes geographic information and turn what may be meaningless lines of numbers into informative maps and databases. For example, the DNR has collected water depth - or bathymetric - data at thousands of points around the lake along with the latitude and longitude of each point. This data is useful to examine the lake depth if you happen to be at one of the points where they collected data, but what about areas between points? And how do you create a useful map that shows where the lake is deepest and shallowest? In the sample map found at the link below, we present an example of a product in development which will help inform the Board, property owners and other stakeholders about lake levels and property values. In this map, the bathymetric data has been interpolated to create smooth contour lines and was overlaid with aerial imagery, locations of dock slips and property tax parcels. Through this type of analysis, the Board will be able to identify and quantify the impacts of varying lake levels on the utilization of dock slips and property values. Further analyses we expect to perform with our GIS software and lake data include identification of possible new POA members, mapping of areas prone to SAV growth and the comparative value of water in the lake to all users. Link to sample map: http://www.deepcreeklakepoa.com/id29.html Please contact Board member Chris Nichols for more information.-- Chris Nichols
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OFFER TO PURCHASE WISP
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 HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - The financially strapped owners of Wisp, Maryland's only ski resort, asked a bankruptcy court judge Friday to approve a sale of the property to a unit of Entertainment Properties Trust, a Kansas City-based real-estate investment trust, for $20.5 million. The proposed transaction is set for an approval hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Greenbelt Dec. 4. Wisp plans to open for the season Nov. 23. "The goal is to have a seamless transition, with no interruptions or changes in guest services, season passes or other reservations and commitments," said Karen Myers, one of the resort owners. "Along with my partners Gary Daum and Steve Richards, we believe that this ownership change at Wisp will be good for the employees, the resort and the region." The deal with Entertainment Properties doesn't include the Lodestone development, Myers said. The deal would include a purchase of about 600 acres and long-term leases on another 250 acres, she said. Entertainment Properties or its subsidiaries own 11 other ski areas in Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont, according to the firm's 2011 annual report. Its other investments include multiplex theaters, entertainment retail centers, wineries and public charter schools. Entertainment Properties said last month it will change its name on Nov. 12 to EPR Properties.
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WARM THE CHILDREN
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 The program entitled Warm The Children (WTC) was started in the early 1980's by Mack Stewart of Higganum, Conneticut, a retired newspaper publisher who saw the newspaper as a perfect vehicle to gather donations, recruit volunteers, then use local resources to identify kids in need of warm clothing and footwear to deal with the kind of winter weather normally experienced in Garrett County. Currently, about 50 newspapers across the country are engaged in WTC programs. Mack contacted The Republican newspaper in 1997 to invite the local paper to join in this worthwhile effort, and the paper's owners jumped in with both feet! For the past 15 years, folks have been donating money to this worthwhile charity focused on local Garrett County children whose parents cannot afford the type of clothing they should have in the winter months. The program in Garrett County is operated jointly by The Republican newspaper and the Oakland Women's Civic Club, which is part of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. For The Republican, WTC is under the capable direction of Mary McEwen who works in close coordination with Betty Ellington of the Civic Club who is the volunteer coordinator for WTC and with Ellen Fritz of the Civic Club who is the volunteer coordinator for preparation of all the thank you notes. The Republican supplies the advertising space as well as the stationary for thank you cards which are mailed to each and every donor. The volunteers organized by the Civic Club do the shopping as well as the writing and mailing of thank you cards, a very nice personal touch. In addition, the donors are recognized in a "Thank You" advertisement in the newspaper. The best part is, "every penny donated to our effort goes to a child in need, simply put, McEwen said. "That's one of the best parts of the program." No overhead! And there are safeguards in place to insure clothing and footwear purchased is not abused. Each year, the process starts in mid-October with the mailing of letters out to all the elementary, middle, and high schools as well as the pre-kindergarten and head start schools. Within each school, teachers are asked to identify the kids who have the needs WTC can satisfy. This process is handled with great care and in complete confidence. The selected children are given a letter to take home which explains the program to the parent(s). If the parents wish to participate in the program, they obtain an application from the school, complete it, and mail it to the Department of Social Services where Dora Hanlin screens all the applications for eligibility. Due to the fact that a tried and true process exists to identify kids in need, families are discouraged from asking directly for the support WTC provides. Additionally, this program is not for those who have other safety nets on which to depend. All approved applications come to Ellington who then arranges shoppers for the families. The only exception to this process is that eligible families in Northern Garrett County are handled by Lisa Broadford who arranges the shoppers. Most of the shopping is done at the Walmart store in Oakland but for families in the Northern Garrett County area, the shopping is done at the Walmart store in LaVale. As the applications come in, McEwen handles the advertising through The Republican to get the word out that donations are being accepted. This year the advertising in The Republican will begin right after Autumn Glory and continue through November. The donation amounts are carefully tracked so only those kids for whom money is available receive the support. This requires close coordination among The Republican, Civic Club, and Social Services but it happens flawlessly each and every year! The WTC local campaign tries not to serve families two years in a row as it is not meant to try to foster any dependency. And practically speaking, children should in most instances be able to wear the same winter coats and boots two or three years without outgrowing them. The shoppers meet the families in the store and remain in the store until they check the families out with a cashier. In most instances, the shoppers stay with the families as they shop to help them find the right sizes and to insure the money spent is for warm clothing and footwear. In Oakland, Ellington uses about 20 shoppers to handle the families and take care of all the required paperwork. Spending amounts range from about $75 on toddlers to $125 per grown child. Last year, WTC bought warm clothing and footwear for approximately 375 children and spent $38,000. WTC is also there for families who suffer a fire in their homes where their clothing is lost at any time during the year. In fact, WTC keeps a financial cushion so that they can respond to emergencies just like this when they occur. WTC is clearly an efficiently run program where truly ever penny donated goes to a deserving child! Should you be interested in obtaining any further information about this program, please contact Betty Ellington at 301.387.9232. -- Bob Hoffmann
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ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN IRELAND
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 The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has planned their 2013 Chamber Trip. Discover and explore scenic Ireland over St. Patrick's Day on this 8-day journey departing Dulles International Airport on March 13 for the village of Adare, Co. Limerick, in Ireland's most breathtaking setting. On this single hotel holiday, guests will be staying in the Dunraven Hotel and visiting numerous beautiful locations including the "Rock of Cashel", the Kilkenney Castle, the Cliffs of Mohr, Galway Bay, Bunratty Folk Park, St. Patrick's Day Parade in Limerick, Dingle Peninsula and Adare Manor and Blarney Castle where guests can kiss the Blarney Stone. The trip is highlighted by round trip scheduled airfare, round trip transfers between airports and hotels, personal airport VIP greeting and check-in service, hotel luggage handling, 6 nights at the Dunraven Hotel, 3 dinners (including 1 at Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet) and breakfast provided daily. The price for the trip is $2,399 for members (this is the price offered to POA members as well) and $2,549 for non-members, double occupancy. Make reservations and deposits by November 30th and receive a $100 discount. For more information contact Paula Thomas, Membership Development Manager at 301-387-5237 or email, [email protected]. |
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GARRETT COUNTY INTERNET & COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IMPROVING
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 Ma Bell sure has changed and more changes are coming every day here in Garrett County. It was not too long ago that POA members had only Ma Bell as their communication service provider. Some even received over the air television signals on a bulky antenna. Now both of these technological services are dated if not obsolete. Car phones, cell phones, smart phones, tablets, cable, internet, broadband, hot spots, WiFi, ISP & fiber optic were all words not in the vocabulary until just recently. So what does all this mean for POA members and all of the residents of Garrett County? Read on! When we purchased our home & joined the POA in the 1980's our communications choices were simple. We had Bell Telephone of Maryland for local and long distance phone services, a TV antenna for minimal broadcast TV services from four stations and a car phone from Cellular One - which would not work anywhere in Garrett County. Today we have a bundled service contract from a cable company which provides unlimited local & long distance land line phone service, high speed internet services, several hundred cable and broadcast television choices and two cell phones from another service provider. We have our own WiFi network in our home for all of our electronic needs. Times have changed and Garrett County is working hard to provide you with the most up to date services at a competitive price. Garrett County has up and running a state of the art 911 emergency call system using either your street address or your dock number for lake front owners. The development and importance of the 911 emergency call system and the street addressing and dock numbering system is another article coming to The Dispatch. Today there are multiple service providers available for land line phone services, cable TV, internet connectivity, call phone services, satellite TV services, satellite internet connectivity, satellite phone services. Let's not forget ham radio services, citizens' band radio and marine radio services that have been and continue to be available for POA members and Garrett County residents who wish to use these important services. Spring 2012 saw the completion of the study, "Broadband in Garrett County; A Strategy for Expansion and Adoption," which follows on the county's 2011 Economic Development Strategic Plan, which includes a goal to increase non-satellite broadband internet availability to at least 90% of the county residents by 2014. The Summary of Findings states: Generally, we conclude that both broadband availability (supply) and use (demand) are high in Garrett County, compared with much of rural America, though still lagging metropolitan areas, particularly in Maryland. The level of interest and awareness in broadband Internet is high in the residential, agricultural, and business sectors, and the County's leaders, both public and private, are working together with uncommon commonality of purpose and commitment. Garrett County represents tremendous broadband leadership and is a model for much of rural America. At the same time, Garrett County suffers from many of the same challenges as does the rest of the rural parts of the country-large unserved remote areas; relatively little competition in population centers; and high pricing that prevents consumers from fully benefiting from the networks where they do exist. These challenges are significant and of enormous importance in light of the County's clear understanding of the importance of broadband to community and economic development. Read the full report at http://www.garrettcounty.org/Garrett_County_Broadband_Report_050112.pdf The Summary goes on to discuss the economics of rural deployment, the potential to increase economic development, the existing facilities and the existing use of broadband in Garrett County. Garrett County is ahead in many aspects and challenged by the rural issues. The recommendations in the report encourage the expansion of the existing fiber optic cable so that the expanded system will connect all county operations, educational, medical and health services, both public and private. With the expanded fiber optic services private carriers can expand their services to further economic development within the county. The focus going forward will be the expansion of fiber optic cable to as much of the county as economically feasible and then the use of wireless connectivity to reach the balance of the businesses and citizens of the county who desire broadband services. In the details of the report, ongoing work in the private sector is discussed. Cellular phone and data services are now available in many parts of the county. Two well known providers --- ATT & US Cellular --- are currently upgrading to their most advanced systems. These enhancements will increase the availability of wireless data services to more homes and businesses in Garrett County. An interesting add-on to the cellular service is the availability of a cell phone signal booster for individuals who now receive weak cell signals. These devices purchased and installed in the home reportedly increase the cell signal for both voice and data. Today's cable services are also wide spread --- but not universally available --- in the county. Procom, Comcast, and Shentel each have their geographic niche while providing some overlap in coverage areas. All now offer bundled services providing unlimited local & long distance land line phone service, high speed internet services and hundreds of cable & broadcast television choices. Ma Bell, now known as ATT, offers phone services and limited DSL internet access in Garrett County. In 1995, GCNET was formed to provide dial up access to the internet and there are still some users today of dial up services which are now offered by I C Electronics [ICWEB]. The major satellite companies provide almost universal cable and broadcast coverage as long as their equipment can 'see' to southwest and the satellite. Satellite internet service is available but is not as widely used because of technological limitations. So where are you? Do you have a smart phone app that turns your lights on as you come up the mountain to your Deep Creek home? As a POA member are you enjoying the wonders of Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake and perhaps fewer of the high tech amenities offered in the metro areas? The leaders of Garrett County --- including your POA leadership --- are working hard to provide the best of both worlds to you. The improvements brought on with broadband for our schools, our medical services and our county government are a sound investment of our tax dollars and will make Garrett County an even better place to live, work and play.-- Ed Neff |
| NOTES FROM POLICY REVIEW BOARD MEETING | |
At the October 22, 2012 meeting of the Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board, Judd Vickers, Chief Real Estate Officer of DNR's Land Acquisition and Planning Office, emphasized the importance of insuring that lakefront owners' property and buydown deeds are joined in the county records; in a foreclosure action an out-of-town lawyer failed to discover the buydown, and problems followed the subsequent sale of the main property but not the buydown. Vickers also warned against moving buffer strip property monuments (markers): property owners must replace them at a cost of between $400 and $500 (in addition, there is a large fine for intentionally moving the monuments). Lake Manager Carolyn Mathews reported that work to fix equipment that is causing leaks from the dam, has been delayed from late October until January 2013.-- Barry Weinberg
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ATTENTION MEMBERS OF LOCAL HOA's/POA's
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Many of you who read The Dispatch and belong to the DCL POA, may also belong to a local Homeowner's or Property Owner's organization around the lake. We would like to urge you to speak to those who have not yet joined the DCL POA and encourage them to do so. In fact, we would be happy to attend one of your local meetings and discuss the merits of joining the DCL POA. Just contact any one of those on our Board of Directors and we will make it happen! Thank You.
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STATE OF THE LAKE PRESENTATION
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 John Griffin, Secretary Department of Natural Resources Secretary Griffin provided his "State of the Lake" presentation on November 14, 2012, at 4:00 PM, in Oakland, which was recorded and placed on the Garrett County website. It can be accessed for those who are interested at www.garrettcounty.org |
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TRIVIA
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The summer issue of the Deep Creek Dispatch contained the photo below of sail boats on Deep Creek Lake. Three of our readers identified the boats as Snipes. A quick look at Wikipedia provided the same information and more detail about the boats. We understand from these same folks that the water between the two bridges was the focal point of original sailing events on the lake. You may be able to make out that the bridge in the background is the old 219 bridge.
According to former Dispatch editor Ted Rissell, about 1937, Harry Muma, who was developing the Turkey Neck Area, approached the sailors and offered to build a club house at Turkey Neck. The first year they used John Mordock's cottage on Turkey Neck as a club house, until Harry using an old barn foundation, finished the club house. John was manager of the Sears store in Cumberland and his cottage was a Sears prefab.
Ted goes on to tell us that early boats on the lake included Snipes, Jet 14s, Rebels, Thistles, and Bells. Locally built Flying Scots started sailing the lake in about 1960.
What do you think the DNR and the Natural Resources Police would think about this early ski jump? If you know anything about the jump we'd like to know and pass it on to our readers. Please email editor Bob Hoffmann at: [email protected].
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Property Owners' Association