Port Deposit

Welcome, first day of fall. Much sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Mary Ann Dabravalskas, who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer recently. Her funeral Mass was held at Good Shepherd Church Saturday. Mary Ann raised her family in Conowingo, moving to a smaller home in Port Deposit after her husband, John, passed away. She eventually downsized even further, moving to the Greenway senior complex in Perryville a few years ago. The Wellwood did a bang-up job at Good Shepherd School in Perryville Sunday by supplying hard crabs, fried chicken, pit beef and crab bisque for almost 200 Ravens/Eagles fans.

The Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW Post 8185 entertained the Perry Point veterans on Sunday, April 14 at the post home at 520 Susquehanna River Road. Kathy Heaton and her crew provided a scrumptious meal followed by music provided by DJ Bob Cross. The ladies entertain the veterans on the second Sunday of every month from April through December. The new Bainbridge Museum at 6 S. Main Street (the Bank Building) will open for the season on Saturday, April 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. Fitness instructor Cindi Lamb Wiley, has two "Fun Buns" classes running, one in North East at Victoria Park senior apartments on Tuesday mornings at 11 a.m., and the other at the VFW Post 8185 in Port Deposit on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. The sessions in North East are free and the classes at Port's VFW encourage a $2 donation to the VFW each week.

ELKTON - Cecil County health officials say rabies has been found in a sickly stray cat that scratched five people in downtown Port Deposit. The five people were scratched Friday. The cat was captured and euthanized at a veterinarian's office and tested. The five people have been urged to seek treatment. The cat is described as a small- to medium-sized yellow tabby. Anyone exposed to the animal in the past 10 days should go to an emergency room.

Detectives in Aberdeen received a tip they hoped would be their big break: A prisoner seeking leniency said he knew the man who abducted the mother of Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. But nearly nine months after the bizarre kidnapping, no suspect has been identified and police still don't know of a motive in the case, in which Violet R. Ripken was taken from her home by an unknown assailant and safely returned nearly 24 hours later. Michael Wayne Molitor claimed last year to know what happened and gave police a name; in return, police helped persuade a judge to grant him bail after a string of drug offenses.

A Port Deposit man was killed and an Edgewood woman was critically wounded, allegedly by the woman's estranged husband, who was also critically wounded when he tried unsuccessfully to kill himself after a confrontation Monday night at the dead man's house in Port Deposit. Timothy S. Hammons, 48, was found murdered inside his house in the 200 block of Craigtown Road in Port Deposit, shortly after 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to Maryland State Police from the North East Barack. When troopers arrived, they found a woman, identified as Eileen L. Roland, 56, of the 2400 block of Philadelphia Road in Edgewood, on the front porch with a gunshot wound to her upper torso, according to a State Police media release.

The Port Deposit Heritage Corporation held its 36th annual General Meeting on April 19 in the upstairs board room of the Paw Paw Building. President Judy Leonard opened the meeting and Patsy Grace submitted her Treasurer's Report. Arch McKown, curator of the Cecil County Historical Society, served as guest speaker, giving very useful information to the board regarding museum policies, plans and protocols. The Heritage has scheduled a fundraising bingo for August to help offset its operating costs.

Four more days remain until St. Nicholas arrives. By this time next week, there will be nothing left but leftovers. Last weekend in church, our minister blessed the straw in the manger. The story goes that if a husband/father takes a piece of straw and keeps it in his wallet or pocket, his family will never go hungry. May that be my wish for you and yours. The Ladies Auxiliary units from Singerly, North East, Rising Sun, Chesapeake City, Perryville and Water Witch fire companies gathered at North East Fire Hall for their quarterly dinner meeting.

Memorial Day services were conducted by the VFW Post 8185 at two locations Sunday, May 27. The first wreath-laying ceremony took place at Harmony Chapel cemetery on Dr. Jack Road, Conowingo and included honor guards from Snow's Battery and the Rising Sun American Legion. Then, post commander D. Harvey Cunningham and his officers, VFW members and men's and ladies' auxiliary officers moved on to Memorial Plaza at the north end of Marina Park in Port. Following the wreath-laying ceremony there and 21-gun salute by the American Legion Post 194's honor guard, everyone gathered at the VFW Post 8185 at noon for a luncheon prepared by Pat Job. Ladies Auxiliary officers Janet Mortus, Ruth Turner and Stephanie Gibson assisted Pat with the luncheon and ladies auxiliary chaplain Linda Cotton said a prayer for the assembly, which included the honor guards, members and several guests.

Maryland State Police Homicide officials on Tuesday said they have identified victims in Monday's triple shooting in Port Deposit that also left the suspected gunman injured. A statement issued Tuesday by the State Police said that one of the victims, Timothy S. Hammons, 48, of the 200 block of Craigstown Road in Port Deposit, suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Eileen L. Roland, 56, of the 2400 block of Philadelphia Road in Edgewood, suffered a gunshot wound and was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center by a State Police helicopter with life-threatening injuries.

Four days after Port Deposit was evacuated because of a flooding Susquehanna River, public officials on Sunday began letting some residents move back into their homes but delayed the return for others whose properties suffered the most damage. By Sunday evening, about two-thirds of the town's population of 800 had been cleared for re-entry, according to state Sen. Nancy Jacobs. She said officials hoped to clear the rest to move by Tuesday. Residents of the south side of town, which generally received less damage than the north side, were the first to be approved for re-entry.

District 10 VFW Ladies Auxiliary met for their quarterly dinner meeting April 2 at the VFW Post 8185, Port Deposit. Auxiliary units from Elkton, Chesapeake City, and North East joined the auxiliary unit from Post 8185 to make plans for June's convention. District President Dee Russo gave out awards from National Headquarters including a certificate to Post 8185 for participation in the President's Special Project. Election and installation of officers for 2013 followed the business meeting.

A Harford County man charged with first-degree murder in connection with a double-shooting in Port Deposit earlier this year remains jailed in Cecil County while he awaits trial this summer. William Gary Roland, 57, of the 1500 block of Galaxy Drive in Street, allegedly shot and wounded his estranged wife, Eileen L. Roland, 56, of Edgewood, and shot and killed her boyfriend, Timothy S. Hammons, 48, during an altercation with the couple on the evening of Jan. 7 that took place in Mr. Hammons' home in the 200 block of Craigtown Road in Port Deposit.

Maryland State Police Homicide officials on Tuesday said they have identified victims in Monday's triple shooting in Port Deposit that also left the suspected gunman injured. A statement issued Tuesday by the State Police said that one of the victims, Timothy S. Hammons, 48, of the 200 block of Craigstown Road in Port Deposit, suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Eileen L. Roland, 56, of the 2400 block of Philadelphia Road in Edgewood, suffered a gunshot wound and was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center by a State Police helicopter with life-threatening injuries.

A Port Deposit man was killed and an Edgewood woman was critically wounded, allegedly by the woman's estranged husband, who was also critically wounded when he tried unsuccessfully to kill himself after a confrontation Monday night at the dead man's house in Port Deposit. Timothy S. Hammons, 48, was found murdered inside his house in the 200 block of Craigtown Road in Port Deposit, shortly after 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to Maryland State Police from the North East Barack. When troopers arrived, they found a woman, identified as Eileen L. Roland, 56, of the 2400 block of Philadelphia Road in Edgewood, on the front porch with a gunshot wound to her upper torso, according to a State Police media release.

Four more days remain until St. Nicholas arrives. By this time next week, there will be nothing left but leftovers. Last weekend in church, our minister blessed the straw in the manger. The story goes that if a husband/father takes a piece of straw and keeps it in his wallet or pocket, his family will never go hungry. May that be my wish for you and yours. The Ladies Auxiliary units from Singerly, North East, Rising Sun, Chesapeake City, Perryville and Water Witch fire companies gathered at North East Fire Hall for their quarterly dinner meeting.

Welcome, first day of fall. Much sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Mary Ann Dabravalskas, who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer recently. Her funeral Mass was held at Good Shepherd Church Saturday. Mary Ann raised her family in Conowingo, moving to a smaller home in Port Deposit after her husband, John, passed away. She eventually downsized even further, moving to the Greenway senior complex in Perryville a few years ago. The Wellwood did a bang-up job at Good Shepherd School in Perryville Sunday by supplying hard crabs, fried chicken, pit beef and crab bisque for almost 200 Ravens/Eagles fans.

Port Deposit hopes to beef up traffic enforcement following Friday night's fatal crash and explosion of a loaded gasoline tanker truck. Repairs to utilities and other cleanup activities were largely wrapped up by Tuesday in the town after a tractor trailer crashed and became engulfed by fire Friday night, killing the truck driver, a Maryland man , Maryland State Police said. Mayor Wayne Tome said Monday he would be meeting with the Cecil County Sheriff's Office soon to help better enforce the restriction on trucks over five tons from entering the town.

History buffs: this could be the best $5 you ever spent. Port Deposit town administrator Erika Quesenbery will personally give visitors a walking tour of the historic riverfront town for $5. She'll drop that to $2 with a lunch receipt from one of the town's restaurants. Why the largesse? Quesenbery wants to raise money to restore Beach Fountain, which sits at the corner of South Main Street and Jacob Tome Highway. The funds needed aren't yet known, but Quesenbery expects any grants for which she applies to require matching funds.

Muriel Frances Gerdom was born on Sept. 9, 1912 in Highlands, N.J. She moved to Havre de Grace in 1919. Her family was one of the first families to make the move from Sandy Hook Proving Ground in New Jersey to Aberdeen Proving Ground, where her father worked. She was the oldest of four children that Frank and Carrie Thompson had. Her siblings, Gertrude Daugherty and Leon Thompson, live in Wilmington, Del. Her brother, Francis Thompson, died in 2002. Gerdom was married in 1930, to Earnest Gerdom, who died in 1967.