Gov. Ehrlich addresses the crowd gathered in the Flattops Thursday afternoon. Behind the governor is St. Mary’s Commissioner President Tommy McKay and St. Mary’s Community Development Corporation President Robin Finnacom — The Bay Net photos by Sean Rice, see slideshow below 

Governor Bob Ehrlich toured Southern Maryland on Thursday, making three quick stops in St. Mary’s county.

The governor met with school officials and students at the newly constructed George Washington Carver Elementary School in Lexington Park to tout the achievement of elementary students’ test scores across the state.

Ehrlich pointed out that third grade reading test scores increased 19 percent during the last three years and fifth grade math scores improved the same percentage during the same period.

The governor also congratulated school officials and the community on the opening of the new school, which was made possible by the construction program under his administration. Classes are set to begin at Carver with the new school year.

Summer session students at Carver sat in a semicircle on the floor of the media center in front of the governor’s podium for the 10 minute talk and pictures with the students.

Just prior to Ehrlich’s introduction, St. Mary’s Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano presented the governor with a rubber bracelet donning the district motto: “work hard and be nice.”

Ehrlich joked that the Maryland Legislature should adopt the same motto.

A few minutes later the governor was standing next to a condemned building in Lexington Park’s “Flattops” neighborhood with local officials gathered to mark the start of the demolition phase of the Lexington Manor Redevelopment Project, also made possible by state grants.

Scores of residents living in the dilapidated buildings of the Flattops were relocated to other affordable housing in the area as part of the project for the 91 acres, which is the largest redevelopment project in the county’s history.

The plans are in accordance with U.S. Navy priorities that call for clear ground space near airstrips, and a major portion of the land will be used as open park space, along with mixed commercial and residential in other areas.

After words of recognition and a ceremonial demolition of one of the buildings, Ehrlich was off to visit several businesses in the Town of Leonardtown. While there he also highlighted several achievements for the town, such as being named one of Maryland’s first Priority Places and receiving several funding grants under his administration for the Leonardtown Wharf waterfront redevelopment project.