Annapolis Capital - Officials Celebrate Rockhold Creek Jetty

Officials celebrate Rockhold Creek jetty

by E.B. Furgurson III
Annapolis Capital

Rep. Steny Hoyer got right to the point at a celebration marking the completion of the Deale jetty project.

"Who likes pork?" he asked on Thursday. "Who likes pork?"

Haltingly, marina impresario Steuart Chaney and County Executive Janet S. Owens raised their hands.

"This is pork," said the House minority whip, whose district stretches from the South River to Washington along the Potomac River.

"But there is good pork and bad pork. Good investment and bad investment. This is a good investment."

The project cost more than $3 million, but for every dollar spent it should create $7.10 in benefits, according to the Army Corps of Engineers and Mr. Hoyer. Those benefits include preventing silt from building up in Rockhold Creek, decreasing the frequency of future dredging.

"This fiscally responsible project is a win-win for our community," said Mr. Hoyer, a 13-term Democrat. "The new jetty will improve recreational and commercial use of our waterways, while easing the burden on the environment and limiting the impact of foul weather on residents."

The project replaced a 63-year-old jetty at the mouth of Rockhold Creek and added a new one stretching 1,070 feet from Town Point to protect the harbor area, the channel and marine businesses in Deale.

The congressman and Col. Peter Mueller, district commander for the corps, joined host Mr. Chaney at Herrington Harbour North Marina. Other county representatives in attendance included, Ms. Owens, County Council Chairman Ed Reilly, R-Crofton, and Del. Bob Costa, R-Deale, and Sheriff George Johnson who is running to replace Ms. Owens. Over a dozen maritime business owners braved the scorching heat to join the celebration as well.

Most who spoke sang the praises of one person they credit with keeping the project alive, Patricia Obrien-Boarman.

"You need a pain in the axle to keep things running, and she is it," Mr. Hoyer joked.

Mr. Chaney also sang her praises and recognized several others on a list of people who have served on the Rockhold Jetty Committee that worked on the project.

Mrs. Boarman started agitating for the project when she lived in Deale 11 years ago.

"We've gone through three colonels trying to get this done," she said. "But we did it."

She handed out plaques thanking four people in particular for their work: Robert Gaudette of state Department of Natural Resources, corps officials Jim Dash and Martin Franklin and county Public Works Director Ron Bowen.

In accepting Mr. Bowen's award Ms. Owens praised the group effort that got the job done.

"This project is the best example of teamwork, it was a true partnership," she said noting federal, state and county monies helped push the plan through.

But Mrs. Boarman is not done yet. First she is going to make sure the lighting and other details get finished.

Then she will set about getting another dredging project done. It seems jetty construction may have helped fill in the channel it is meant to protect.

Col. Mueller has only been on the job for a few weeks, but Mrs. Boarman already has his number.

http://hoyer.house.gov/Newsroom/index.asp?ID=764&DocumentType=Article