wednesday,july 3, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

COUNTYNEWSThe County TimesWednesday, July 3, 2013 4Historic CommissionConcerned Over New Grave FindsBy Guy LeonardStaff WriterFor six years now the county’s Historic PreservationCommission has worked to catalogue all the public and privategravesites in St. Mary’s for posterity but their work hasuncovered many more sites than they had originally believedexisted.So many they are that one member who recently leftthe group said development could endanger the burial plotswithout their builders even knowing it.Robert Gibbs said the work of the St. Mary’s CountyCemetery Project had found 86 sites back in 2007 but nowthat number stands at 198 sites that are either public or privateor catalogued but without knowledge of exactly wherethey are.“And we’ve got some really strange private ones likeSt. Mary’s Slavic” that sits next to a maintenance buildingon the campus of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, he said.The project’s current database resides throughout thecounty’s public libraries, Gibbs said, and the commission isasking residents who may have old journal entries, articles orfamily bibles with information about gravesites not includedin the database to come forward with the information.“Development does threaten the historic character ofthis county,” Gibbs said.The possibility that more than 198 gravesites existslocally is strong given that the county’s history goes backalmost 400 years and the archaeological records show thatinhabitants were here over a 10,000 year period.Photo By Guy LeonardGravesites like this one at the San Souci Shopping Center are thekind the county’s historic preservationists want information on forcataloguing.The dates for the cemeteries found by the project datefrom the 1650’s with a majority of them started in the 19thcentury with the last permit for a cemetery was issued in1989 to a local family.Finding the cemeteries has presented some difficultiessince some non-Catholic cemeteries have smaller plots,shorter histories “and many have disappeared from publicnotice,” according to preservation commission documents.guyleonard@countytimes.netBy Guy LeonardStaff WriterInmateAttemptsSuicideSheriff’s officials say that an inmate at the adultdetention center tried to commit suicide Sunday byhanging himself.Corrections officers found the 19-year-old inmatehanging inside his cell at about 1:30 a.m. during a routineinmate check, according to the Bureau of CriminalInvestigations (BCI).Lt. David Yingling, vice commander of BCI, saidthe inmate was in serious condition.“He’s not in good condition,” Yingling said. “Hisprognosis at this time is not known.”Law officers are not releasing the inmate’s name,as he is an attempted suicide victim.The inmate had less then one-half hour to makehis suicide attempt as correctional officers make theirrounds to check on inmates at least twice each hour,Yingling said.When officers found the inmate he was unresponsiveand they tried to resuscitate him immediately.The inmate was transported to a hospital where hecontinues to be treated, police said.guyleonard@countytimes.netTest Your IQ**Imagination Quotienta one day Workshopwith Ingrid SwannSaturday, July 6, 201310AM - 3PM (1 hour lunch)at theLeonardtown Art CenterClass size: 12 participants. Please don’t miss registering at 301 884-3456 (leave message)or by e-mail: IngridElisabet@aol.comChallenge your powers of observation and take home with you A finished piece of watercolor art A small sculpture or jewelry pendant Print originals for note cards, textiles, and much more Lots of new ideas, and joy of wanting to do more!$40 (Includes all materials!)Bring a friend/make new friendsA few of the testimonials from the same class offered at Mattawoman Creek Art Center last month:“Very enjoyable. Learned how to try to be creative. Not boring!” (underlines by participant)“What a wonderful gift of a day. Thank you, Ingrid, for sharing your time & talents”“Great job! Great lessons, you are enthusiastic and easy to learn from”“I enjoyed the teacher’s openness, spontaneity, vitality, and the wide spectrum of art activities - andthe group’s friendliness & versatility”