Don’t Just Sleep Here – LIVE Here!
When my husband moved us to Charles County seven years ago, I reluctantly left a mid-western town rich in community pride and civic-minded activity. I have to admit that Waldorf looked like cookie-cutter America at first glance. It seemed to me at the time, that the town and indeed the county held nothing that couldn’t be found in thousands of other suburbs across the nation.
In the last two years, however, it has come to my attention that I was completely and blessedly wrong. Charles County has a marvelous richness of opportunities and talent. If you scratch this area’s cookie-cutter surface, the county fairly bleeds with heritage, talent and involvement.
This column features organizations around the county who add to the richness of opportunities. Read along and find a way to become part of southern Maryland. Even if you’re just stopping off here for three years, or you work horribly long hours in the District, this doesn’t have to just be a place where you sleep. Your contribution can be large or small. LIVE here, and leave a positive mark on Charles County.
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The Gardners’ Academy Awards
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LAST WEEK, THE CHARLES County Garden Club gave out their prestigious and highly coveted annual county beautification awards. Club president, Linda Dyson and awards committee chairwoman, Diane Kramer announced the winners and awarded prizes at a televised ceremony during the county commissioners’ Wednesday board meeting.
The ceremony drew a large crowd there to receive the club’s 37 awards for the beautification of public, business and residential spaces. The club received more than 110 applications for this year’s awards.
“We’re so pleased that people get so excited about it,” Kramer told The Bay Net.
La Plata business owner Michael Raymond applied several times before winning this year. The landscaping at the Raymond Funeral Home and the home gardens he shares with his wife, Kristina, both won the Garden Club’s 2007 Beautification Awards. Both Mr. and Mrs. Raymond looked decidedly pleased with their awards as their picture was taken with the county commissioners.
“We want people to feel like they’re coming home,” Raymond said. He wants people to feel a sense of calmness about them and not be intimidated by the building.
When Raymond first purchased the property at the corner of Rosewick Road and Washington Avenue, he didn’t have the money for landscaping. He and his employees planted it all themselves. In the last 6 ½ years, Raymond has consulted Jude Roberts of Forestville Landscaping and architect, Ron Litten with the continued goal of “softening and pretty-ing” the building and grounds.
Raymond calls gardening at home his mental therapy. He told The B
