Rural Maryland Council announces $550K available for grant program

The Rural Maryland Council recently announced the opening of the Fiscal Year 2017 Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund for applications. The MAERDAF program has helped many rural-serving organizations establish or maintain programs and projects that have had a significant impact on rural Maryland. The fund provides grants to rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. Also eligible are rural community colleges that support small and agricultural businesses through enhanced training and technical assistance. MAERDAF’s goal is to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to help them establish new public/ private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding.

Between Fiscal Year 2001 and Fiscal Year 2016, the MAERDAF program awarded $3.25 million in grants to more than 75 organizations. The Rural Maryland Council administers MAERDAF in partnership with several state of Maryland Departments including the Mar yland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Commerce. This will be the largest grant year on record for the fund, with more than triple the resources available just last year.

For fiscal year 2017, the RMC is particularly interested in proposals that address: agriculture, energy, rural broadband, healthcare, youth engagement and workforce/economic development. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, July 15. Instructions and applications are available on the RMC’s website at www.rural.maryland.gov/maerdaf/.

SMECO board candidates nominated

The 2016 nominating committee for Southern Mar yland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) chose candidates for the five seats up for election on SMECO’s Board of Directors.

The nominations are: Calvert County (one seat available) — W. Michael Phipps; Charles County (two seats available) — Gilbert O. Bowling, Vernecia C. Smith, Richard A. Winkler; Prince George’s County (one seat available) — James A. Richards; St. Mary’s County (one seat available) — P. Scott White.

In addition to nominations made by the committee, any 15 or more SMECO members acting together may make other nominations by petition. SMECO customer-members running by petition should also complete and submit an application. To obtain an application and petition, contact Terrie Krupitzer at 240-5289747 or Terrie.Krupitzer@ smeco.coop. SMECO must receive completed candidate applications and petitions by Friday, June 24. Applications and petitions may be mailed to SMECO, Attention: Joseph Densford, Board Attorney, P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD 20637, or delivered to Krupitzer at 15035 Burnt Store Road in Hughesville. Nominations will be posted in each SMECO office and available online.

SMECO customer-members will elect five directors to serve three-year terms by voting for one board seat in Calvert County, two seats in Charles County, one seat in Prince George’s County, and one seat in St. Mary’s County.

Members may vote in person at SMECO’s 2016 Annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.

Absentee mail-in ballots will also be available to members who wish to vote but cannot attend the meeting. To request an absentee mail-in ballot, call 1-888-440-3311, ext. 4722, between July 18 and Aug. 5, or complete an online form on the co-op’s website, www.smeco.coop. Customer-members may also mail a request for an absentee mail-in ballot to SMECO Annual Meeting, P.O. Box 670, Hughesville, MD 20637. The following information must be included in the request: account number, phone number, service address, and mailing address.

SMECO will mail member identification cards with information about the meeting to customer-members in late July.

Ladles of Love Soup Kitchen helps those in need every Wednesday

The Arnold House and Metropolitan United Methodist Church have partnered up to start Ladles of Love Soup Kitchen, located at the church, 3385 Metropolitan Church Road, Indian Head. The kitchen is open 5-7 p.m. every Wednesday. Visitors are encouraged to “eat one; feed one,” by taking a meal to someone in the community who may be homeless, disabled, a senior citizen, shut-in or without transportation. Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are available. Contact Arline Arnold at 202-494-7556 for more information.

Nominations open for Heroines of Washington awards

The March of Dimes is accepting nominations for the 16th annual Heroines of Washington awards program. The event will honor women in the D.C. region for their dedication to community service.

Awards will be presented for the following categories: Healthcare Heroine Award sponsored by Optum; Professional Services Heroine Award; Public Sector Heroine Award; Real Estate Heroine Award; Technology Heroine Award; Rising Heroine Award; Lifetime Heroine Award.

To nominate a heroine and learn more about the event and past winners, go to marchofdimes.org/ heroines. Nominees must live in Maryland, Northern Virginia, or Washington, D.C. Self-nominations will be accepted. The deadline to submit a nominee will be July 15.

The black-tie awards gala will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. Guests will include directors, CEOs and other high-level individuals from local corporations and government agencies. Proceeds will support March of Dimes programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy.

Since 2001 the March of Dimes has honored 94 “Heroines” and raised more than $2.3 million to support the March of Dimes mission.

Volunteers needed for Mission of Mercy free dental service event

Southern Maryland Mission of Mercy will hold a dental clinic 6 a.m.-4 p.m. July 29–30 at North Point High School, 2500 Davis Road, Waldorf.

The Mission of Mercy is a free adult dental clinic provided by volunteer dental professionals and volunteer staff of over four hundred people. Volunteers are needed for this to be a successful event. Dental professionals (dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants) are needed. Participants do not need any special dental or medical training to be a volunteer for many other positions that need to be filled.

Volunteers are needed for security, parking, patient registration, meals, escorting patients throughout the clinic and more. Morning and afternoon shifts are needed throughout the twoday event.

Those interested can volunteer online at www. southernmdmom.org and click on the ‘Volunteer’ tab to register. For more information, go to the website or call 301-884-4438.

CSM ‘Code Green’ summer program begins May 27

The College of Southern Maryland will implement its annual “Code Green” program during the summer as part of its energy savings initiatives. From May 27-July 29, excluding July 8, CSM will close most buildings on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. The early closings will not affect classes, CSM’s St. Charles Children’s

Learning Center, Kids’ and Teen College programs, WFA (wellness, fitness and aquatic) centers or the Waldorf Center. Public safety and preparedness personnel will also remain on campus.

Employees will work longer days the rest of the week to compensate for the early closing on Fridays.

CSM will close all campuses

for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, May 28-30, and will close all campuses for Independence Day, July 4.

Classes for the Summer I six- and 12-week sessions begin May 23, Summer II nine-week session begins June 13, and Summer III six-week session begins July 5.

Access to online services, including registration, is available at www.csmd.edu and through my.CSMD services.

For specific information

about Waldorf Center’s schedule, call 301-632-2900.

For complete summer academic calendar, visit http://www.csmd.edu/calendar/index.html.

Official opening set for new Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum will officially open its doors to the public during a celebration this Memorial Day weekend.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28, the museum complex will open to all ages interested in discovering the heritage of naval aviation’s research, development, test and evaluation at Patuxent River.

The 20,000 square-foot new exhibit hall is located next to the main entrance to the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River.

First opened in 1978, the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum (PRNAM) now spans three buildings and includes a flight line of14

different one-of-a-kind aircraft and aircraft configurations unique to the Naval Test Center here at NAS Patuxent River.

Visitors to the museum will witness a range of test and evaluation-centric artifacts including a replica A-1 Triad, the U. S. Navy’s first aircraft; the X-35 prototype of the Navy latest aircraft; galleries of aircraft engines and ejection seats; flight simulators; and more.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, the museum complex will be open six days a week.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission to the museum complex is $5 for adults and $3 for children, seniors and active duty personnel.

The PRNAM is operated by the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization. For additional information, email association@paxmuseum.com or call 301-8631900.