St. Mary's State's Attorney

The case for whom to vote for St. Mary's County State's Attorney is focused on the character and ability of the two candidates. Joseph A. Mattingly Jr. is well schooled on the law, has 16 years of experience in the courtroom and is dedicated to making this community safer by putting deeds behind his pledge to prosecute and jail drug dealers. Richard Fritz has been there in that role as the chief prosecutor of drug distributors and he proved that he never saw charges he wouldn't drop against a dealer as he did so on scores, even hundreds, of occasions.

Mattingly has promised to continue in their jobs, the career prosecutors who are the backbone of the system of justice in St. Mary's County. These prosecutors are doing the job without concern for politics and that is how it should be conducted. But Fritz campaigns with threats to sack them and install his political cronies.

Joe Mattingly has spoken often of his fervent desire to continue the great success of the Project Graduation Program begun by Walter Dorsey in 1984. Mattingly believes in this program because he has been a part of this success story each year as the project racked up a record of not one young life being lost on high school graduation night. The hard work of hundreds of adults in this effort has paid off and parents should be cheered that this effort has had the personal contribution of Mattingly and has his promise that it will flourish.

Fritz's campaign for state's attorney is all based on smoke and mirrors. The truth about his experience is that he only went before a jury with a drug dealer 9 times from 1989 to 1992. Fritz refused to account for over $20,000 in funds he ordered issued to himself, and when pressed to account, he quit his post with no notice and with numerous cases pending trial; Fritz, who as an attorney is an officer of the court, lied to the court, in a sworn statement, about the reason for postponing a trial for a very dangerous drug dealer who had threatened a state witness with a gun. Fritz said he would be out of town on business, but the business was a hunting trip to Maine to shoot bears. Neither Bill Clinton or Richard Fritz should lie in court.

Why would Fritz warn drug dealers about a police raid? It is all about blind ambition.

Why do the drug dealers trust Richard Fritz? They know him better than you do and they have good reasons. Fritz has a very close working relationship with scores of drug dealers. They turned over information to him, he let them go, he arrested their competitors, then let them go in return for more information on other dealers, and then churned them too. Each one he took a hunk of cash from, often in the sum of $1,000 or more for his drug fund which he used with arrogance and refused to provide an accounting of how he spent them. The drug dealers kept Fritz in cash, plain and simple. The dealers just didn't go to prison, they were still at large when Fritz quit and went to work as the local mob lawyer, working for all of the worst drug dealers around, taking their blood money.

Now Fritz wants your vote. His ambition should not be quenched with the responsibilities of the most important law enforcement office of St. Mary's County. He should not now become the county's most powerful elected official in addition to being the best friend the drug dealers ever had.

Readers are strongly urged to vote for Joseph A. Mattingly Jr. for St. Mary's State's Attorney. Mattingly has the trial experience necessary, the character, the intellect and the guts to stand up for the law and not maneuver, bend and twist with the winds as drug dealers flash cash. Mattingly has the administrative experience to run the office of state's attorney and a strong sense of the importance and trust which the people will place in him. Mattingly is the best choice and the right choice.

St. Mary's Sheriff Pick Must Be Able
To Work Closely With State's Attorney

The choice for Sheriff of St. Mary's is now down to the wire and voters may choose between the Republican write-in candidate, Samuel T. Haynie, the Republican candidate, Richard Voorhaar and the Democratic candidate, Donald Purdy.

The incumbent in the race is Voorhaar and he has proven to be a completely untrustworthy steward of the public trust. He has shown beyond any doubt that he cannont work with the State's Attorney, who is responsible for the successful prosecution of criminals once they are arrested.

Republicans who are crying for the scalp of Bill Clinton need look no further than Leonardtown for a public official who is a pathological liar. Voorhaar's shameful conduct involving the Pickeral murder has only been surpassed by his shoddy release of the state prosecutor's report just three weeks before the election.

Voorhaar not only put politics before the horrible tragedy of a child's murder but he has now endangered the very ability of the prosecutors to ever find Keith Green guilty by releasing the findings of the prosecutor. Those findings would never have been available to Green's defense lawyers had not Voorhaar helped them with this release and endangered eventually obtaining a conviction. Voorhaar was not cleared of putting politics before law enforcement. The report simply said there wasn't enough to charge him with a crime, it did not say that he is not stupid. Richard Voorhaar is unfit for the job of sheriff.

Samuel T. Haynie is an experienced investigator and would have performed commendably as the GOP standard-bearer. Haynie has shown he has a lot to offer and hopefully he will make another bid for this job in the future. In the meantime, he can continue to serve the people of St. Mary's County in his current job as a deputy.

Donald Purdy is the choice of this newspaper and readers are encouraged to vote for him due to his experience as commander of the patrol division, criminal investigation division and the support services division. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the county and is well educated in all areas of law enforcement. Purdy has a genuine desire and sincerity to serve the citizens of this county that is matched by a determination to drive the burglars and drug dealers out of town to areas which will tolerate them.

To have Maryland's highest crime rate increase is a real embarrassment to Purdy and those professional law officers on the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department who truly desire to serve and protect the people of the county. It is time to elect as sheriff a man who will be a leader of the department rather than the concierge, anxious to pass out favors to deputies rather than lock up criminals. Vote For Donald Purdy as Sheriff of St. Mary's County.

House of Delegates

You have to hand it to Republican Don O'Neal for his dogged determination at running for the House of Delegates. If he put the same effort at a different post not represented by such an able person as Democrat John Slade, he might get somewhere. District 29B has been well represented by Del. Slade since 1982 and there is no reason to change now.

In District 29C there is a good reason to change the person elected as delegate to the General Assembly due to the ideological isolation of Republican Anthony O'Donnell. O'Donnell incredibly voted against the state budget that sent important state funds to Calvert and St. Mary's schools, for our roads, and for improvements at the St. Mary's Airport. He has spent most of his time chasing narrow bills dealing with a turkey shoot range near homes in Lusby while ignoring the real issues of the day. O'Donnell's lack of appreciation of the duties of a Delegate have left this area under-represented, but due to Sen. Dyson's district covering the same region, the citizens have been able to have someone to turn to when they need help. John Gott, a former Calvert Commissioner seeks this delegate spot which includes two California precincts along with the southern half of Calvert. Gott is wise, experienced and an effective worker who will be part of our Southern Maryland team. Vote for John Gott for Delegate in 29C.

The decision for an endorsement for Delegate in District 29A is a tough one for many folks as Del. Johnny Wood has served St. Mary's well in the House while challenger Shane Mattingly offers a choice that is a good choice for voters. Mattingly has pointed out that Del. Wood has not delivered as much for the district as other chairmen have for their districts, but Wood didn't become a committee chairman until half way through this last session. Wood is now Southern Maryland's only committee chairman in the Assembly and to give him the heave-ho would be a mistake. Wood not being an attorney is another asset. He has taken a lot of heat for his fund-raising from lobbyists in these pages over the years, but when a well-financed effort to dump him appears as it did this year, you can now see why he had to mount such a massive fundraising effort for his campaign. Mattingly questions what a lobbyist from out-of-the-area would expect from Wood, but the fact remains, as long as contributions to candidates are legally given, within the scope of the law, there is nothing wrong with those contributions. Mattingly's own vote, as chairman of the Board of Appeals, to allow a dirty dump for Baltimore garbage at the once proposed stump dump along Rt. 6 at Huntersville is a dark spot on his own record that put this county in deep danger. Who lobbied Mattingly for that vote? Shane Mattingly has fought a formidable race but he falls short of making a compelling argument to replace Del. Wood. Vote to reelect Del. John Wood.

Governor / Lt. Governor

The team of Parris Glendening and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend did not win the majority of the votes of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's citizens in the last election. Over the past two months, the reasons for strongly urging our readers to changing to supporting Glendening and Townsend have been enumerated here at length.

Briefly, those points are reiterated again this week. They are quite simply, the support of Gov. Glendening for improving our infrastructure, our roads, our schools, our law enforcement, our higher education faciliities have been dramatic and of great consquence, indeed over $218 million worth of such improvements have come to this area.

In addition, Gov. Glendening has made it clear that he will stand up to the Mafia-supporters of big gambling and keep the gangsters out of Maryland by opposing slots at the race tracks, casinos or any expansion of gambling. Standing up to the hoodlums who control big gambling takes a lot of nerve and this Jimmy Stewart-like professeor from the University of Maryland is showing he can go the distance with these wise guys.

Vote to reelect Parris Glendening and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend

U. S. Congress

If the Republicans ever find a good candidate to run against Steny Hoyer then they won't have to resort to revisionist history of the BRAC commission decisions over the past six years since Steny Hoyer began making a difference on what activities stayed at our military facilities in Southern Maryland and what activities were brought here. We have had readers write in and state that the base stays here because of their professionalism, not because of Steny Hoyer being our congressman. While their hard work at their jobs involved in our nation's defense is to be respected, let us keep their contributions in perspective.

The very competent work of our able defense workers is essential as their tasks are indeed vital to the future of Pax River.

But it has been the very competent Steny Hoyer working hard, lobbying with the members of the BRAC commission, with adminstration officials and key committee members in Congress, who reign supreme over decisons which are made to move and extract thousands of jobs from military installations, that has made the difference in what has taken place here.

More simply put, it is not the work of an engineer at Pax, no matter how professional he or she may be, that determined whether NavAir was moved here or that we kept 2/3 rds of the jobs at NESEA. To believe such nonsense is pure poppycock, baloney and just pure bull. These engineers ought to get out once in awhile and let their calculators and slide rules get a little fresh air.

Vote to reelect Steny Hoyer and keep effective representation for Southern Maryland in the House of Representatives.

State Senate

The leadership of Senator Roy Dyson is probably best explained by looking at the facts of his work in the General Assembly over the past four years. Sen. Dyson began working to save the old U. S. Navy railroad right-of-way from further ruin and misuse which has been allowed by Commissioner's Thompson and Chesser, along with Commissioner Eagan.

Dyson put in a bill to require the State Mass Transit Administration to perform a feasibility study to save this old rail line bed for future light rail use as a way to plan for the future transportation needs of Southern Maryland. The senator's hard work at winning support for this initiative suffered from attacks by the Republican commissioners and the lobbyist for the Washington Gas Company, along with being undermined by others who have secret and selfish motives. Finally, this last session, the bill passed following the Senator winning the support of Gov. Glendening. Now, after perservering, Dyson's light rail plan has the full support of the Governor who has put forth a massive plan to make light rail from D.C. to Waldorf an immediate achievement, thus bringing the reality of light rail to Lexington Park looming much closer on the horizon.

Senator Roy Dyson kept the GOP St. Mary's commissioners from moving ahead on an unneeded and wasteful boondoggle of a $23 million judicial palace in 1995. He has worked to restore the veteran's military burial ceremonies and to stave off over-regulation of our region's already over-regulated farmers.

Dyson cares deeply about the problems that the public has with bureacracy at all levels and has an effective staff that works hard every day.

Senator Roy Dyson has been vigorously working hard for Southern Maryland since first being elected as a Delegate in 1974 in a district that stretched from Pt. Lookout to Golden Beach to Cobb Island to Bryan's Road. Keep Roy Dyson working for you and reelect him to the Maryland Senate.

Comptroller

No one could envision that we would be selecting a new comptroller, instead of Louie Goldstein, who died suddenly this past summer, but we are indeed about that task. Former Governor William Donald Schaefer is the Democratic nominee for the job. Schaefer's pronounced policy of 'do it now' for government, along with his wide range of experience makes him a great replacement for Goldstein, and for Maryland Comptroller Robert Swann, who has been ably serving the rest of Louis's term. Schaefer, who will sit on the Board of Public Works, has a deep and abiding respect for this region and a complete understanding of the importance of responsive state government. Vote for William Donald Schaefer as the next Comptroller.

There can be no other choice for voters than to pick the all-Democratic slate in 1998. While those who comprise the majority who voted for the Republicans in the last election may be somewhat satisfied with most of the actions of the three-commissioner majority of Eagan, Brugman and Jarboe, they are not running this year and their replacement nominees are not up to the task, in the case of Dalton Wood and Michael Snavely or, as in the case of Shelby Guazzo, who is a dangerous person to have as a commissioner.

As for the two incumbent commissioners who want another turn in the barrel, forget it. Barbara Thompson has exercised a flagrant disregard for the law, repeatedly, as she has participated in secret meetings in violation of the Open Meetings Act of St. Mary's County as well as the state open meetings law. Thompson has completely disregarded the policies set by the majority of the commissioner board and gone behind their backs as she worked on a daily basis to contradict their votes and countermand their orders to county staff. Thompson is a treacherous, cantankerous, out-of-control despot who completely does not understand or respect our democratic procedures in government. She is a dictator who hides behind the cloak of good government and is supported by a network of liberals and socialists, along with country club Republicans who share her taste for totalitarian power.

Opposing her for Commissioner President is Democrat Julie Randall who is smart as a whip, is a quick study on complex issues and has shown she will devote the time needed to find solutions to problems. Randall's experience on the Board of Education has prepared her well for the contentious task of being a county commissioner. She has demonstrated an ability to work together to achieve consensus and to stand up for what she believes in as she provides leadership for others. Randall promises to bring civility to the Board, something that has been lacking greatly, due mostly to Thompson's contentious nature. Julie Randall is the best choice for St. Mary's Commissioner President.

In the First Commissioner District, the race is between Joe Anderson and Paul Chesser. Anderson's service on the planning commission has given him an understanding of problems and challenges facing St. Mary's County, but his views on planning issues, on private property rights and his tendency to approve of ever-more restrictions on private property and individual freedom is very disturbing. Were he running against anyone but an imbecile such as Paul Chesser it would be impossible to recommend him to our readers. But Chesser is the only other choice. Chesser is completely and totally out of it when it comes to understanding the issues. On top of his senility, he is mean and vindictive. He makes motions at Board meetings and then votes against his own motions. He often sleeps at meetings. It is time to return Chesser to St. Georges Island where he can properly nap at home, without soaking up a paycheck from the citizens of this county. Therefore, a reluctant vote for Anderson is recommended and it is the sincere hope of this newspaper that his common-sense Democrat running mates will win and show him the path to providing good government at a low cost to our pocketbooks and our freedoms.

For Second District Commissioner, Thomas Mattingly Sr. is far and away the best choice. He promised on Saturday that he would not revisit the courthouse issue, that there is no way to save money by doing anything different than is already in the works. As a condition of that promise, this newspaper is happy to endorse him for election as county commissioner. His experience as a volunteer fire department leader for many years has given him a strong insight to the workings of government. Mattingly has been a working man for many years who knows what it is like for his fellow citizens to struggle to support their families and to build a county that they are proud to call home. Mattingly's appreciation of those struggles on the part of his fellow citizens is something that comes with the maturity of years. Michael Snavely hasn't been able to articulate his views to any appreciable extent and the last thing St. Mary's County needs now is another young man from Hollywood who really doesn't have his feet firmly planted on the ground. Chris Brugman would have likely made a much better commissioner during a second term but he wouldn't run and refused to be drafted, thus Snavely is the GOP offering. Refuse that choice and vote for Thomas Mattingly.

In the Third Commissioner District, former Delegate John William Quade is the nominee for the Democrats while Shelby Guazzo is the Queen of Intolerance for the Republicans. Guazzo is a overregulation freak with an uplifted nose, who sneers at St. Mary's County, all the while wanting to strip property owners of their rights, businesses of their signs and taxpayers of their money. Quade has been tempered by a term in the Maryland House and service in a large variety of business and community groups. His conservative views are much more in concert with the people than Guazzo's. Vote for the Democratic nominee, John William Quade.

The Fourth Commissioner District features a really extraordinarily decent man, Daniel Raley. As a volunteer for St. Mary's County, as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and as a member of various community groups, Raley has the knowledge and experience to do a great job as commissioner. The Republican, Dalton Wood, is a nice guy with not too much depth or knowledge of the county, and could be a puppet for Barbara Thompson if they both were elected. Raley is a conservative to moderate man with a set of beliefs that reflects the people, the constitutional guarantees of our nation and legacy of St. Mary's County. Vote to elect Daniel Raley.

Calvert Commissioners

Calvert County voters must select from the offering presented by the candidacies of ten worthy persons to compose the next Board of Commissioners. There are five Democrats and five Republicans but the five who should be selected stand out for one reason, and the only reason that counts, that of experience. The five without experience are still worthy candidates and fine public-spirited individuals who should continue to work for the betterment of the county.

But in choosing the next Board, Calvert needs the people who can show up and hit the ground running, to take on the responsibilities of the post and are up to the job, while providing the broadest possible mix of diversity.

For that reason, voters are urged to vote for incumbent commissioners Patrick Buehler, Hagner Mister and Linda Kelley, along with former Commissioners Barbara Stinnett and Michael Moore. These four Democrats and one Republican offer the widest possible degree of representation of race, sex, geography and to a lesser extent, political party and they don't need on-the-job training.

They are steady hands in an uncertain time as the issues of growth management, electric utility deregulation, relicencing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, development of the town centers and preservation of farms along with local economic development bring challenges as well as vast opportunities for the betterment of life in Calvert County.

The other five candidates are all fine citizens who have honored themselves, their families and the community by their campaigns.

Vote for Patrick Buehler, Hagner Mister, Linda Kelley, Barbara Stinnett and Michael Moore.

State Senators

Calvert Countians are part of two Senatorial Districts, both of which are presently represented by two well-qualified and dedicated public servants, Senator Mike Miller and Senator Roy Dyson.

For such a small county as Calvert to have the benefit of the service of two individuals as Miller and Dyson is a unique occurrence in Maryland. The longtime Senate President and with the experience of ten years in the U. S. Congress and six years in the Maryland House of Delegates that Roy Dyson brings to the post of State Senator combine to make for a roundhouse wallop of knowledge and ability for the needs of Calvert citizens.

The two Republican opponents in these races have offered nothing to make a compelling race to replace Sen. Miller and Sen. Dyson and readers are urged to vote to re-elect both Senator Mike Miller and Senator Roy Dyson, in their respective districts.

House of Delegates

There is no contest when it comes to Del. George Owings III, who has been selected by his peers in the Maryland House of Delegates to be the majority whip, due to his ability to get the job done and get others to become part of a consensus. The art of politics is exactly that, to bring people together in unity for the sake of progress for all of us. Neophytes who stand out at solitary poles, declaring to the four winds that they stand for isolated points, no matter how commendable, must learn that they are supposed to be able to work together with other legislators in order to best represent their constituents. To do otherwise is to attempt to tilt the windmills, to whistle in the wind, to paddle against the currents of time. Such actions are often noble and the rewards for doing so are different from being rewarded with being continued in public office by the voters.

For that reason, Del. George Owings should be reelected and Del. Anthony O'Donnell should see if he can get a job as a lobbyist for one of the worthy social causes which he so firmly believes in but he should not be selected to be returned to the House of Delegates. Former Calvert Commissioner John Gott is far better suited to be elected to the House due to his proven background in business as well as government, he knows how to iron out obstacles to achievement, he knows the people of Calvert County and has ably represented them in the past and he realizes that holding up narrow views in a dogmatic fashion doesn't hack it when it comes to being a Delegate.

Tony O'Donnell's votes against the state budget which funded local schools is simply wrong, no matter how well-intentioned he was for doing so, Calvert needs those state funds for our schools. John Gott has a much better appreciation of how to fight for this area in Annapolis and how to bring home the bacon.

Vote for George Owings III and John Gott.

U. S. Congress

This year there has been a concerted effort of lies and distortions of the truth about the record of Steny Hoyer on the part of his opponent and his followers. Numerous letters have been sent proclaiming that Congressman Hoyer has failed to represent the people of the Fifth District properly or effectively. Nothing could be further from the truth. Republicans have been lying to the public about Hoyer's role in bringing NavAir and other U. S. Navy units to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which has meant so much to the lower end of Calvert County in terms of offering vast employment opportunities in the high-tech fields, both with the government and with the defense contractors.

Steny Hoyer was the central figure in representing this area before the BRAC commission, and armed with data provided by the able Navy Alliance group, provided a masterful job in bringing these units to Pax. This wasn't accomplished by some phantom Republicans or by the very weak service of Wayne Gilchrest when he represented this area for two years. Gilchrest, was, in fact, on this issue, a disaster. His attitude to the possibility of losing local facilities was to think about a industrial park rather than to fight for what we have and what we can obtain.

Steny Hoyer may be wrong on important social issues, of that there is no doubt, but on the central issues of effective representation of Calvert and the rest of Southern Maryland, Hoyer is a clean-cut, honest and effective congressman, a man that your children can look up to as we used to believe that we could prior to the law-breaking of the Nixon years and the sordid scandals of corruption, drugs and decadence of the Clinton years.

Vote to return Steny Hoyer as the representative of the Fifth Congressional District.

Calvert Clerk of the Circuit Court

Ability and experience are on the side of Kathy Smith for Calvert County Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Calvert County Treasuer

There is a wide separation between Novalea Tracey and John Harrison in this race. Harrison, while not the incumbent, is a professional certified public accountant while Tracey is only a bookkeeper who failed to deposit large sums of money in the bank and instead kept them in a desk drawer, all the while losing interest income for Calvert County. If the treasurer cannot ensure the simple task of depositing tax payments by citizens, she should be replaced and Harrison is just the guy to do the job right.

Calvert County Register of Wills

Each year more people learn first hand what the role of Register of Wills really is all about as loved ones pass on and the management of wrapping up their estates and final business are left to survivors. That is when people come into contact with the lovely and professional Margaret Phipps. Phipps possesses those qualities of compassion, knowledge and experience that are so important at such highly charged emotional times as when families must deal with finalizing estates immediately after being stricken with grief. Reelect Margaret Phipps to the post of Register of Wills, a job she does with class and love.

Calvert County Judges of the Orphan's Court

C. W. "Dickie Pitcher, Barbara Bowen Elliott and Thomas Pellagatti make the best team of Orphan's Court Judges due to the experience of Pitcher and Elliott and the legal background of Pellagatti.

Mayor of North Beach --- The Best Man For The Job is a Woman!

Spirit, enthusiasm and leadership are the ingredients required for the Mayor of North Beach, who presides over a Town Council which must follow the lead of the mayor and guide policy. The mayor in turn, presides over a staff which implements decisions and maintains the infrastructure of the town.

The chief input from a mayor is that of leadership and the talents of bringing people together, to be the ambassador from the town to the county and the state, which provide important funds to complement local revenue.

Of the seven candidates running, the best for the job is Toby Jeanne duCellier, a person who has spent so much of her life telling others how to run government, can now show that she knows what she is talking about.

Her chief opponent, Mark Frazer, is a small-minded man who might ruin this small town with his parochialism and his patronage to the views of the mayor of Chesapeake Beach.

duCellier will stand up for North Beach and be an outspoken advocate for the best interests of the tiny burg. Citizens of North Beach should vote for Toby Jeanne duCellier. Let Du do it!

Town Council of North Beach

In a small town like North Beach, government plays a very big role. For that reason, it is essential to keep a system of checks and balances in place. In the Town Council race this year, a slate of candidates is running with mayoral candidate Mark Frazer, and they have given every indication they intend be nothing more than a "rubber-stamp council," giving the go-ahead to every idea that pops into Frazer’s head, regardless of whether it is a good idea or a bad one.

With a council like that, the people will have no voice and Frazer, if elected Mayor, will be free to ignore the taxpayers and will have total control of every aspect of the town for the next four years.

For this reason, we endorse the independent candidates. Voters should send Mike Bojokles, who served briefly but very well as an appointed member of the council, back to serve a full four-year term. Denise Lucero, a newcomer to town politics, is also an impressive candidate who will bring a fresh perspective to the council. Incumbent Alan Wolf is a tried-and-true representative of the people who should also be returned to office, along with incumbent Steve Holaus, who presented many good ideas while serving previously. Francis Reed would be a good addition to the council, as he has already shown an interest in town activities and is especially interested in doing things for the young people. To round out the six-member council, voters should separate Connie Cambron from the Frazer slate and put her on board, based on her ability to work with others and her willingness to help wherever she can.

With independent candidate Toby J. "T. J." duCellier as Mayor, we predict this council and mayor will accomplish great things and will truly serve the people of North Beach for the next four years.