Published on: Wednesday, February 20, 2013

By Mary McHale

Morningside Fire Department awarded FEMA grant

The Morningside Volunteer Fire Department is excited to announce it has been awarded a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response) Grant from FEMA in the amount of $446,245. This award helps the department in its recruitment and retention efforts, will allow them to provide study areas in the station, improve station information technology, advertise through social media, print and outdoor signage, allow them to attend trade shows, provide some station wear incentives and, finally, provide a tuition-reimbursement program.

The department was notified of the award Feb. 14 by Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s office during the County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association meeting. This is the third consecutive fiscal year that Morningside VFD has been awarded an assistance grant from FEMA. 

Neighbors

Morningside is once again searching for a new chief of police. Jeffery Gray, sworn in as chief five months ago, has resigned. Previously, he retired from the Prince George’s County Police Department and served as special assistant to the chief of the New Carrollton Police Department. An officer, currently with the Morningside Police Department, may serve as acting chief.

Yvonne Garvin, of Skyline, has a new great-grandson, Micah Omari, born Oct. 9, 2012, to Reginald and Tamara Booze. Proud grandparents are Dwayne and Angela Fernandez. Micah has a big brother, Malik, 3½.

Yvonne’s parents, Robert and Virginia Gerald, of Goldsboro, N.C., were honored on Feb. 17 by Worldwide Marriage Encounter as having the longest marriage in North Carolina — they’ve been married almost 80 years. They missed by six months being the longest-married couple in America since a couple from Connecticut claims that honor. They were married on April 12, 1933, and they have 11 children, 40 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren and 47 great-great grandchildren.

At the fall general meeting of the Skyline Citizens Association, we said goodbye to Major James Harper with cake and refreshments. He served as commander of County Police District IV for three years and retired with 20 years’ service. He has a new job, as chief investigator to the Office of Prince George’s States Attorney.

Condolences to Theresa Toye, of Skyline, on the death of her brother, Charles Toye, of Charles County, on Nov. 25.

Register your kids for sports

The Forestville Boys & Girls Club announced that spring registration has begun. Now through April 5, there is registration, for ages 5 to 14, for T-Ball/baseball, soccer and softball. Registration will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the gym at Andrew Jackson Academy, located 3500 Regency Parkway. Fee for early registration before Feb. 28 is $80. Fee for regular registration between March 1 and April 5 is $100. For information, call 301-412-0135.

Apology

Once again, I’ve been caught in error and “thank you” to several of you who called to let me know.

In a recent column I wrote about Walls Bakery and said it had closed. Actually, it moved elsewhere some time ago, to 2260 Old Washington Road in Waldorf. It opens every day at 7 a.m. It closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 6 p. m. on Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. You can phone the bakery at 301-645-8505 or visit www.WigwamWallsBakery.com.

May they rest in peace

My friend Jean Bohannon, longtime parishioner of St. Philip’s, died Feb. 1. I’ll pay tribute to her in next week’s column.

Barbara J. Lamb, 76, formerly of Camp Springs and recently of Campbellsville, Ky., died Feb. 8. She was born in Washington, the daughter of Cecil and Catherine Six. She was retired from the Institutes of Health in Washington. Survivors include sons Charles, Stephen and Robert Lamb; daughters Karen Simmons and Marcia Gilbert (formerly of Skyline); 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services were at Kalas with burial at Washington National Cemetery.

Frances K. “Fran” Furgala, 99, Red Cross volunteer and maker of dolls, died Dec. 27. She loved to bowl, play tennis and do handicrafts, and was a Sodalist of St. John’s Church in Clinton. She was the wife of Michael A. Furgala for 59 years, mother of Mary Ann Fellos, grandmother of Patrick, Rachel and Stephen.

Milestones

Happy birthday to Father Ted Hegnauer, Feb. 15; Kevin Gray and Sibyl Deily, Feb. 25; Thomas “TJ” Flaherty and Angela Hutchinson, Feb. 27; and Terrence Flaherty, Feb. 28. Gerry Joliffe won’t be having a birthday this year — he was born on Feb. 29.

Happy anniversary to Clifford and Nancy Lantz on Feb. 26; and to Freda and Michael McDonald, their 33rd on Feb. 28.