Southern Maryland This is Living - On-line Edition

Volume 9, Number 3, Fall 2007 The articles presented here are a sample of what is available in the hardcopy magazine. Magazines are on-sale now at your local news stands and supermarkets. You can also subscribe or renew on-line. Select articles from previous editions can be found in our on-line Archive. Enter for your chance to win a free TWO-YEAR subscription to the magazine.
		Volunteer groups are always in need of two things: money and more volunteers. This is especially true of all the volunteer groups associated with the local fire departments and rescue squads. More...
		Before fire fighters began forming and chartering volunteer fire departments (VFD) in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Southern Maryland citizens took matters into their own hands-literally. Water-filled buckets passed down a line of neighborly hands were all there was between a town's ultimate destruction and the loss of a citizen's personal fortune. Surprisingly, our fire fighters of today are still an all-volunteer force. More...
		When the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) started it could be compared to an infant in a crib. William F. "Bill" Cooke took that baby out of the crib and nurtured it until it became a full-grown man. He was always expanding the horizons. Cooke caught the vision of what a little rural fire department could become. He was the father who led the child through its growth and development, keeping one step ahead to make sure there were no impediments. More...
		Few things can test the fiber of a marriage the way building a new house can, but for homeowners Jimmy and Cheryl Bare it's just business as usual. In 2005, the couple set about building not their first, but their fifth home, on nearly 30 acres in a quiet community in Calvert County. More...
		HELP WANTED: Long hours, heavy lifting, dangerous work conditions, life or death situations. Hot heads and mavericks need not apply. No pay. More...
		In Japan and China the Japanese maple has been a favorite tree of their artfully styled gardens since the 1700s because of their form, color and naturally contorting shapes. There are now more than 1,000 cultivars, with new ones developed each decade. Since Southern Maryland shares similar climates with that part of Asia, it makes the Japanese maple a good candidate for our gardens. More...
		The friendships, loyalty and camaraderie are legendary within fire departments and rescue squads. Working long, and often emotionally draining shifts, makes you appreciate the men and women who do this work. They care about this business a great deal or else they wouldn't be there. Since none of these people are getting paid, you have to figure they are doing it because they want to and it's important to them. So when your peers give you an award, it really means something. More...
		"What do I do if someone is choking, has a heart attack, or needs emergency medical treatment?" Unfortunately, most tri-county residents don't know the answer to that question. More...
		Less than a century ago, the idea of one day inheriting family property and creating a home where your ancestors had once lived was the norm. Each generation adding their own sense of style to the home, while still retaining the character of the previous owners, was both a tradition and an honor among many families. More...
		Now that summer is over, the weather is cool enough for more than a splash in the pool. Southern Maryland's parks and playgrounds offer fun for the entire family. More...
		Higher education is an elusive dream for many high school students, no matter what their circumstance. But for first-generation college-bound students, or those who come from low income or minority backgrounds, the challenge of preparing, applying for and finding financial support for school can be overwhelming. SoMD CAN has a system for leveling the playing field by providing educational opportunities to Southern Maryland's youth-at an annual cost of only $230 per student. More...
		When Jennifer Young was growing up, she liked to spend time at the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department with her dad, a volunteer firefighter. Young is certain that her passion for the high-adrenalin life of firefighting and the pull to help others started then. Now age 34 and assistant fire chief of the Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department, she is one of hundreds of volunteer firefighters who protect and save lives throughout Southern Maryland. More...