The Maryland Dove tied up at a pier at Clements Island during the Blessing of the Fleet, an annual event sponsored by the Seventh District Optimist Club.   Large crowds attended the two-day festival which featured boat rides to the island where a Catholic Mass was celebrated for those wished to attend as well as tour the reconstructed Blakiston Lighthouse.  On the mainland at Colton's Point at the St. Clements Island Potomac River Museum, a parade entertained thousands while the Wanderers played, Civil War re-enacters acted and local civic groups such as the Mechanicsville Optimists, the Avenue American Legion and others cooked up a storm with cream of crab soup, fried oysters, pork and beef BBQ, and many other great eats.  ST. MARY'S TODAY photos


An old buy boat, the restored Samuel M. Bailey.



The Wanderers on stage at the Blessing of the Fleet.


Enjoying the Wanderers



The St. Mary's Sheriff's Department Color Guard


Blessing of the Bug



St. Mary's School Board member Bill Mattingly, Del. John Bohanan (D. Lexington Park), Del. Johnny Wood (D. Mechanicsville), and those tax-hiking Democrat St. Mary's Commissioners Tommy Mattingly and Dan Raley, march to the beat of their own drummer in the parade.  


United States Navy Color Guard from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.


Clydesdales in parade formation were popular with all ages.


Swarming hornets were in step and played with precision.


Everybody loves a band and these kids from Great Mills played their hearts out to the delight of the crowd.




Drum overload.

Intensity.



The Hayden Farm Deal still stinks!  The Town Hall Alliance slate of St. Mary's Commissioner Larry Jarboe reminds voters that the St. Mary's Board blew $5.2 million to buy a farm on the outskirts of Leonardtown which was worth about half of what the Board paid, that the Board held a public hearing on Christmas Eve and there are likely bodies buried on the farm. The public has been furious over the fishy deal which was supported by Krazy Kenny Dement and the Taxocrats, Jackie Russell, Dan Raley and Tommy Mattingly.  The Hayden family got a handsome sum, got to keep one house for a dollar a year and can still farm the land under the backroom deal made by the Board, with the lone no vote being that of Larry Jarboe.  The Hayden family got a bubba deal arranged by Tommy Mattingly, got to keep the front parcel on the highway where they hope to put a shopping center, gets to keep the use of their land until the county develops it and with their double value land deal, they are testy when folks say all of this stinks!  Nothing worse than double dealing folks with bad attitudes who have ripped off the taxpayers...isn't this like welfare fraud?


Fed up with being the only vote against tax hikes, Commissioner Larry Jarboe has been recruiting a slate of candidates to join him in next year's election.  Running with Jarboe are Rich Johnson, left, Danny Morris, center, Jarboe and Randy Guy who was also in the parade, marching in the American Legion Color Guard.  The Jarboe slate is carrying brooms to signify their task of sweeping out Krazy Kenny and the Taxocrats.


The precision sweeping team is ready to sweep out the Democrats and vote against tax hikes.



An old but souped up truck.


Daughters of the Sons of the Confederacy.


Sons of Confederate Veterans.  There were a couple of Yankees but they scooted by too quick for a photo.


United States Coast Guard patrol boat and crew from Station St. Inigoes on the Potomac.


The Showband of Southern Maryland from Chopticon High School in Morganza.


Pride and purpose.



76 Trombones in the Hit Parade!



Shouldering the load.


American Legion Post at Avenue Color Guard.



Knights of Columbus Color Guard.


Knights of St. John's Drill Team and Color Guard.


Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy students and Color Guard.


Leonardtown High School Marching Band.








This classy Mercury stole the show.



A Buick Roadmaster, a top of the line auto in the 1950's.


What could be better for a kid than riding in pretty Chevy in a parade.


Plymouth, one of America's famous Chrysler Corporation cars now a dropped brand.


This 1960's Ford is for sale.


"See the USA in your Chevrolet, America is asking you to come" was sung by singer Diana Shore in Chevy TV and radio commercials in the 1950's.



The Pryor family restored this historic fire engine and enjoys participating in parades.


Seventh District VFD engine 51 was in prime condition for the parade.




After a K-9 demonstration, St. Mary's Sheriff's Deputy Todd Fleenor with his bloodhound Cooper prepare for a trip home.



This original is on display at the museum at Colton's Point.