Local Hero To Be Featured on Oprah Winfrey Network Show

The new television series, “Saved by a Stranger: Extraordinary Acts of Courage,” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), plans to air an upcoming story from Charles County in a future episode.

A camera crew from Skip Films and a consultant with OWN, visited Charles County recently to tape a segment highlighting an emergency dispatcher, James Maloney and Madison Davis, a seven-year-old from Charles County.

St. Charles Salutes a Community Hero

A brave Sheriff’s Officer rescues an entire family from a fire at their home on the morning of July 5th.

At 3:23am, Corporal William Jackson responded to the townhouse inferno in the 11800 block of Oak Manor Drive in Waldorf.  The caller, an occupant of the house, said he saw smoke and flames coming from the kitchen area and indicated he was trapped in his bedroom.  Corporal Jackson arrived within minutes and tried to enter the house, but the front door was locked. Corporal Jackson kicked the door open and yelled for the occupants but no one answered.

Despite heavy smoke, Jackson proceeded upstairs where he forced open several bedroom doors. He safely removed five occupants including three adults and two children ages 13 and 17. Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire that was mostly contained in the kitchen. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Local Heroes:  Project Linus Warms Our Hearts

Project Linus warms the hearts (and bodies) of local children in difficult situations.  Members of Project Linus, in Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties, sew blankets for children who are hospitalized, in shelters, or are enduring other hardships.  The county chapters meet individually once a month and join together once a year to sew blankets, learn quilting and crocheting patterns, and enjoy camaraderie, while supporting a worthwhile and rewarding cause.

Members generally do much of the sewing at home and then bring blankets to monthly meetings to finalize.  The meetings are also an opportunity for members to strive to make as many blankets together as possible, with 233 as the reigning high number of blankets made during one meeting!

Local Heroes:  Amy DiSabatino Named Principal of the Year

Each year, The Washington Post honors exceptional principals throughout the region.  This year’s winner for Charles County is Amy DiSabatino, who is at the helm of William B. Wade Elementary school in St. Charles.   Wade teachers and staff comment on Principal DiSabatino’s outstanding leadership qualities, specifically her ability to motivate students and faculty and to use everyday opportunities to promote instructional challenges or strategies.  DiSabatino takes a hands on approach and can often be seen teaching classroom lessons (engaging students while also training the teacher) and otherwise actively participating in school events.  She leads by example, is enthusiastic, and offers encouragement and inspiration.  Staff credits DiSabatino’s leadership for Wade’s superior Maryland School Assessment (MSA) scores, which have consistently been at or above 90 percent proficient, with minimal achievement gap.  Parents find her to be a good communicator as well as highly accessible, personally responding to parents and addressing their concerns.

Local Heroes:  Daniel Meltsner, Computer Technology Teacher

Mr. Daniel Meltsner of Hanson Middle School was recently honored as Charles County’s Outstanding Educator Using Technology by the Maryland Society for Educational Technology.  The award is given to Maryland pre-K through 12th grade teachers who “have made an exemplary contribution to instructional computing practices through the use of technology in classroom lessons.”  In addition to running his own computer technology classroom, Mr. Meltsner serves as a technology trainer for county schools, assisting other teachers in the effective implementation of technology in their lesson plans.

His nomination came from Brenda Richards, a coworker at Hanson, who described him as a “role model for the routine, purposeful and effective use of technology.”

Local Hero: Waldorf Senior Receives Governor's Award

A hearty congratulations to Waldorf resident Jerry McMahon, who was recently honored with the Fourth Annual Governor’s Leadership in Aging Award.  Governor Martin O’Malley awarded Mr. McMahon for his work with the Waldorf Senior Center, the St. Charles Mall Walkers, and Senior Services of Charles County Inc., in addition to his commitment to his large family and neighbors.  His award falls within the Trailblazer category, which commends an individual, community group, business, or organization that displays leadership in senior issues through effective advocacy or development of an innovative program, research or training.