Hiltz

The Thunder's prize off-season catch may have been reeling in a Salmonbelly.Joe Hiltz, a veteran of the New Westminster Salmonbellies in Canada's Western Lacrosse Association, decided to give the higher-profile American indoor game a second shot.Lured back to the states by a pair of friends, Rochester's Marty O'Neill and the Thunder's Gary Gait, he received two tryouts, with Baltimore being his first stop."I never made it to Rochester," Hiltz said.And for good reason. If not for teammate Gait, Hiltz might be the National Lacrosse League's Most Valuable Player over the first month of the season.

Opponent: Buffalo BanditsSite: Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, N.Y.Time: 8 Radio: WCBM (680 AM)Outlook: The Thunder (2-0), which has scored 41 goals in wins over Rochester and Toronto, makes its first road appearance. As the highest-scoring team in the National Lacrosse League, the Thunder has relied on Gary Gait (15 goals, 5 assists), Joe Hiltz (3, 12) and Matt Shearer (10, 4), who have combined for more than two-thirds of the team's offense. Buffalo (1-0) proved it is one of the top teams in the NLL last week, beating defending champion Philadelphia, 18-17, in overtime.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Thunder continued its early-season roll through the opposition last night, when it downed the Buffalo Bandits, 22-15, before a crowd of 10,216 at the Marine Midland Arena.Joe Hiltz led Thunder scorers with seven goals and two assists and Matt Shearer added five goals. Gary Gait and Rodney Tapp each chipped in three goals. Shearer also set up four goals, while Gait set up three.This win -- the Thunder's third in three tries -- wasn't quite as breezy as the other two, although there were times it looked like it would be.The Thunder romped to an imposing 13-6 halftime lead, fueled by Hiltz's five goals, and three by Gait.

Opponent: New York SaintsWhere: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.When: 7: 30Radio: WCBM (680 AM)Outlook: The National Lacrosse League-leading Thunder (3-0) proved it is more than just a one-man attack last week at Buffalo. With superstar Gary Gait suffering from stomach flu, Joe Hiltz picked up the slack, scoring seven goals to go along with two assists in a 22-15 victory. Three other Thunder players recorded three goals or more, including Gait, who scored three times. The Thunder has the NLL's top three scorers in Gait, Hiltz and Matt Shearer and is averaging 21 goals per game.

Thunder tonight: NLL semifinalsOpponent: Rochester Knighthawks Site: Baltimore Arena Time: 7: 30Radio: WCBM (680 AM)Outlook: Both teams were 8-4, but the Thunder gained home-field advantage for this game by winning both regular-season encounters, 20-13 and 14-11. The Thunder has defeated the Knighthawks in each of their last four meetings. Baltimore is the highest-scoring team in the league (by 40 goals) and is led by the NLL's two top scorers, Gary Gait (50 goals, 32 assists) and Joe Hiltz (34, 46)

Thomas G. Hiltz has resigned as a member of the county Planning and Zoning Commission, saying he is interested in running for the school board and frustrated by the direction of planning in Carroll.The former commission chairman, who has earned a reputation as an independent and thoughtful voice on land-use issues, submitted his resignation, effective immediately, to the county commissioners Wednesday.Hiltz mentioned new responsibilities at work and the demands of his family as his main reasons for leaving, but he also said it was time for him to move on to other areas of public service.

Since the county planning commission adopted strict criteria in the spring for new subdivisions, "the pressure has been on," says commission Vice Chairman Joseph H. Mettle of Sykesville.The problem, members say, is that as the panel has taken a larger role in guiding development, panelists routinely have been lobbied by developers and others who have an interest in projects the commission is reviewing. Now, for the first time, the commission is trying to adopt rules of conduct.Within the past few weeks, a developer called Mettle at home and asked him point-blank what would have to occur to get the project approved, said Mettle, who fought for the strict criteria and often votes against new subdivision plans.

THEY CAME to test their skills and their mettle in the annual Scouting event known as the Klondike Derby. When the day was over, many a mother was surely testing her laundry detergent against the grimy clothes of those Scouts.More than 1,000 Boy Scouts and Cubs Scouts from all over Carroll gathered at Piney Run Park Saturday in a daylong celebration of sportsmanship, teamwork and camaraderie. For many Scouts, the Klondike Derby is a chance to show off the new skills they've learned through Scouting.

A member of the polarized county Planning Commission predicted last week that the current membership will never reach consensus on adequate facilities criteria.Members have been trying for months to reach agreement on the adequate facilities criteria they should apply when reviewing subdivision plans.Yet adequate facilities reports on schools, roads, public safety and environmental services continue to include the information they need when voting on plans.Often, each of the seven members interprets those reports differently.

Even though the Carroll County school system produces superior results -- as measured by the students' first or second-place performance on statewide standardized tests -- many parents express unhappiness with it. This unease may explain why 11 candidates have decided to run for two vacancies on the county school board. Voters get to choose two of the candidates in the non-partisan primary on Sept. 13; the top four vote-getters advance to the general election.Several candidates have fashioned their campaigns to tap into this animosity toward the board and administration.

A Carroll County bookkeeper accused of embezzling more than $236,000 - including a total of almost $50,000 from a Cub Scout troop and an elementary school PTA - was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to three years in prison, federal officials said. Angela E. Hiltz, 43, used the money to purchase Ravens tickets, pay bills and furnish a home in Little River, S.C., according to court documents. The Mount Airy resident was immediately taken into custody to begin serving the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.

A Carroll County bookkeeper accused of embezzling more than $185,000 - including a total of $50,000 from a Cub Scout troop and an elementary school PTA - pleaded guilty yesterday to bank fraud, federal officials said. Angela E. Hiltz, 43, bought Ravens tickets, paid bills and furnished a home in Little River, S.C., with the embezzled money, according to court documents. The Mount Airy resident could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

While Carroll County students will be required to take a financial literacy course to graduate starting next year, concerns linger over whether mandating the course is the most effective way to teach money matters to teens. "The course is likely a good thing, but I am convinced it is not the best thing," school board President Thomas G. Hiltz said last week. "One course is not a panacea and, alone, will not make our students financially literate." After a lengthy debate about requiring the class, board members voted 4-1 to require students beginning next school year to take the half-credit course.

During a low-key race for the Carroll County school board, the two winners stressed the need to continue building on the system's academic achievements, and it was that message that seemed to resonate with voters. Incumbent Thomas G. Hiltz - who is being returned to the board for a second four-year term - and newcomer Cynthia L. Foley maintained during the campaign that although the district was doing well, they saw room for improvement. "I think we are moving in the right direction," Hiltz said yesterday.

With a week to go before the candidate filing deadline, no one has submitted the necessary paperwork to run for two Carroll County school board seats - the same seats that 24 people fought for in a contentious election nearly four years ago. While incumbent board member Thomas G. Hiltz said he intends to file his candidate application with the county elections board this week, fellow incumbent Susan G. Holt remains undecided. She said she would like to run for re-election in the March primary but is "still in negotiations" with her family.

When Carroll school board member Thomas G. Hiltz first looked over the school system's ethics policy, he found just about everything to be in order. Upon closer examination, however, Hiltz discovered that he could possibly accept an all-expenses-paid trip to Lake Tahoe or some other far-flung locale from a company that does business with the school system simply by offering the flimsy justification that he was participating in a panel discussion for the company. "If you read it, it certainly appears that we have a stronger policy than we actually do," Hiltz said in an interview last week.

Surrounded by their families, Thomas G. Hiltz and Susan Holt were sworn in yesterday afternoon as new members of the Carroll County Board of Education, roles they'll officially assume Monday. In years past, new board members took their oath of office in the county courthouse basement. The ceremony typically lacked any ceremony at all and lasted about 30 seconds. No flowers. No punch and cookies. No polite applause. But this year, after one of the most intensely fought school board elections in local history, Interim Superintendent Charles I. Ecker deemed a ceremony appropriate.

WITH THE GRACE and movements of a well-choreographed dance troupe, students enrolled in the Sykesville Parks and Recreation's karate and self-defense class recently demonstrated their skills while free sparing. The class of about 15 students combines Asian karate of various styles. "The result is a very effective and graceful martial art," said director Peter Hiltz. Hiltz has been offering the course for five years through the recreation council, making martial arts available and more affordable to the public.

After 3,006 absentee ballots were counted yesterday, Thomas B. Hiltz and Susan Holt maintained their leads from Tuesday and won four-year terms on the Carroll County Board of Education. Hiltz led the field with 28 percent of the votes, Holt had 25 percent and Lisa Breslin had 24.6 percent, according to unofficial totals tabulated by the Carroll board of elections. Steven M. Nevin came in fourth with 22 percent, the results show. In all, 64,142 votes were cast, the board reported. Holt led Breslin after Tuesday's count by 515 votes, too slim a margin to declare victory without counting the absentee ballots.

Tom Hiltz has the qualities board needs Letters are coming fast and furious supporting and opposing various candidates for the county's school board. I am for Tom Hiltz. All the candidates seem like decent people, so why should people vote for Mr. Hiltz? If you want a candidate who knows the value of a good education, Mr. Hiltz is your candidate. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in nuclear engineering from M.I.T., he wants to ensure that every child in Carroll County has the opportunity to further his or her education at a good college.