The money is flying in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District. With less than two weeks until the district’s contentious House race between incumbent Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Stevensville, and Republican challenger Andy Harris, spending has far eclipsed any other House race in the state — nearly three-quarters of all spending for House candidates has happened in the 1st District.

Together, Harris and Kratovil spent more than $1.3 million between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30 — the state’s other seven districts combined spent less than half a million dollars. Kratovil outspent Harris, dropping $857,661 in September to Harris’s $457,535. Most of Kratovil’s cash — $796,845 of it — went to television ad production and air time. He raised $375,122 and still has $866,002 on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings that were due Oct. 15. The next filing is due Thursday.

Harris spent $348,725 on television advertising, that dwarfs his next-largest expenditure category, a $30,020 payment to Maryland GOP fundraiser Amy Shuster for “consulting.” After raising $332,342 last month, he has $819,572 on hand. Fundraising is down 38 percent during this same time period from the last time Harris and Kratovil fought it out, the 2008 election in which Kratovil won the seat by fewer than 3,000 votes. In September 2008, both candidates collected at least $530,000 each.

The state’s other House races, however, are not nearly as close, at least financially. Across the board, incumbents have an overwhelming fundraising advantage over their opponents: As a group, they raised $1.23 million dollars between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30, compared to challengers’ $389,027.

In District 2, incumbent Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, D-Baltimore, raised $246,729 and spent $32,987, leaving him with $1,186,802 on hand. Republican challenger Marcelo Cardarelli raised $2,520, but spent $24,968. He is listed as having $38,589 still available but FEC records indicate the campaign is $96,000 in debt.

In District 3, Democratic incumbent Rep. John Sarbanes raised $16,685 in September and spent $72,498. He has $544,026 available in cash. Opponent Jim Wilhelm, who was warned by the FEC for missing an August reporting deadline, has not yet filed the Oct. 15 quarterly report. District 4 incumbent Rep. Donna Edwards raised $51,599 and spent $76,438, leaving her with $152,719. The only FEC documents available for Republican challenger Robert Broadus state he has raised $5,206 since last January and spent about $5,316; he is listed as having negative $109.35 cash on hand.

District 5’s Charles Lollar, up against House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, had the most successful fundraising of any challenger, collecting $39,953 — though it was dwarfed by Hoyer’s $303,592. Hoyer spent $116,145 in September and still has $1.7 million; Lollar spent $43,658 and has $89,045 left.

District 6’s Republican incumbent Rep. Roscoe Bartlett raised $34,953 but spent only $19,682, less than any other incumbent in Maryland. He has $336,447 on hand, while Democratic challenger Andrew Duck raised $6,364 and spent $5,403; he has $1,194 left. In District 7, incumbent Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, raised only $30,582 and spent $23,814 but still has $777,081 on hand. Republican challenger Frank Mirabile Jr. raised $1,480, spent $634 and has $2,436 available.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, District 8 incumbent and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, raised $169,954 and spent $47,154. He has $2.7 million cash on hand, more than twice as much as any other candidate for the House from Maryland. Republican challenger Michael Lee Philips raised $6,368 but spent $28,945; he has $38,141 on hand but is $101,046 in debt.

Richard Abdill, Capital News Service

Twenty-two students from Radcliffe Creek School recently visited Antietam National Battlefield and Harper’s Ferry for 3 days and 2 nights to supplement their study of the Civil War with teachers Heidi Anthony and Deanna Walls. They visited many of the important places on the battlefield, such as Burnside Bridge and the Sunken Road (also known as “Bloody Lane”). Exploring the nearby town of Harper’s Ferry and hiking along the C&O Canal to Maryland Heights were favorites of the students. Students worked hard to complete field journals, including choosing one monument to research independently. The students learned how signal flags were used and practiced how to load and fire cannons with a Park Ranger as well.

Radcliffe Creek School is an independent day school for children of average or above average intelligence with a diagnosed learning disability or other learning concerns. Field trip experiences like this are an integral part of the curriculum and compliment the full-immersion learning environment of Radcliffe. For more information about Radcliffe Creek School, please visit the school website: www.radcliffecreekschool.org or call the school office at 410-778-8150.

The photo is of some of the group high above the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers at Maryland Heights. The Lower Town District of Harper’s Ferry National Historic Park is visible in the background. Harper’s Ferry is the location of John Brown’s famous raid of the federal arsenal in 1859.

The Goldstein Program in Public Affairs and the William James Forum will host talks by U.S. Congressman Frank Kratovil and his Republican challenger, anesthesiologist and state senator Andy Harris. The appearances come a day apart and are accompanied by receptions. The public is welcome.

Congressman Kratovil, a Democrat serving his first term in Congress, will speak on the topic “Reclaiming A Middle Ground in Washington” at 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 20 in Hynson Lounge of Hodson Hall. A reception will follow.

The following day, October 21, Harris will address the topic “Restoring the American Dream” at 3 p.m. in Litrenta Lecture Hall, Toll Science Center. A reception will precede the talk at 2:30 in the McLain Atrium.

The Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs was established in 1990 to encourage students to enter public service by introducing them to exemplary leaders, both in and out of government. The William James Forum was established in 1963 to perpetuate philosopher William James’ interest in the value of ideas.

CHESTERTOWN, MD — Junior defender Brittany Palasik (Severna Park, MD/Archbishop Spalding) broke the single-season Centennial Conference record for defensive saves and tied the school record for defensive saves as the Washington College field hockey team defeated Gettysburg, 3-1, on Saturday on Kibler Field at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium.

The win was the first for the Shorewomen over the Bullets since a 2-1 win on October 18, 2003, breaking a string of seven straight losses to Gettysburg in the series.

Palasik gave the Shorewomen (6-7, 4-2 Centennial) a 1-0 lead, with 27:00 remaining in the first half, when she fired in a shot off a rebound from the right of the goal. Palasik picked up her 14th defensive save of the season, tying the conference’s single-season record, on a shot by Gettysburg’s Sarah Cole with 19:17 left in the first half. She tied the record set by Dickinson’s Dina Pietrangelo in 1999.

Washington increased its lead to 2-0 when junior midfielder Gussie Reilly (Buck Hill Falls, PA/Mercersburg Academy) lofted in a shot in the middle of the circle after a short pass from junior attack Emily Trees (Kensington, MD/Connelly School of the Holy Child).

Palasik broke the single-season conference record for defensive saves on a shot by the Bullets’ Alyssa Heimbach with 27:17 left in the game. That defensive save was the 23rd of Palasik’s career, tying the career record for a Washington College player set by Lindsey Riley from 2003-2006. Heimbach put the Bullets (5-8, 3-3) on the board with a penalty stroke goal three second later to trim the lead to 2-1, but the Shorewomen scored an insurance goal when senior defender Sara Rutkowski (Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser) tipped a ball in at the left post off a long blast from Reilly.

Senior goalkeeper Shannon Davis (Sykesville, MD/Liberty) had a career-high 12 saves in the win for the Shorewomen, helping offset a 21-11 advantage in shots and a 17-5 margin in penalty corners for the Bullets. Megan Feeg made three saves for Gettysburg.

The Shorewomen return to action Wednesday with a 7:00 p.m. Centennial Conference game at Haverford.

WCTR’s Keith Thompson  interviewed Jeff Reed  last week as part of Election Profiles 2010. With a career in education,  Mr. Reed  is eager to use his knowledge of both large and small school districts to help in making changes in the Kent County School District.  A native of Kent County, Reed attended county schools and served as a teacher in Rock Hall.  He is currently with  Caroline County Public Schools working as an Assistant Principal with Greensboro Elementary.

Listen Here: [audio:Reed – Reed.MP3]

LANCASTER, PA – Washington College freshman setter Lauren White (Huntingtown, MD/Huntingtown) has been named the Centennial Conference Co -Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of October 4-10, becoming the first WC volleyball player to win the award since 2006. She shares the honor with Lizzie Kuhn from Gettysburg College.

White averaged 7.40 assists and 3.47 digs per set in four matches this week where she tallied two double-doubles.  She had 35 assists and 22 digs, both match highs, against Lancaster Bible College and 20 assists and 15 digs versus Scranton.  Her 15 digs tied for tops in the match against Scranton.  In Washington’s first win over Muhlenberg since 1994, she handed out a match-high 33 assists and added five kills as the Shorewomen topped the Mules in four sets.  White has recorded six double-doubles in her last nine matches.

White is the first volleyball player for Washington to win this award since Katherine O’Brien was named co-player of the week on October 17, 2006.

CHESTERTOWN, MD — The Washington College field hockey team is partnering with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Shorewomen’s second annual “Saves 4 The Cure,” a fundraiser to help in the battle against breast cancer. This year’s “Saves 4 The Cure” game will take place on October 16th against Gettysburg College.

There are several ways to participate:

• Pledge an amount per each goalkeeper save made by Washington College on October 16th
• Sponsor a player with a flat donation on behalf of a Washington College field hockey student-athlete
• Purchase a t-shirt for $15 before the event or $20 on game day
• Purchase a pink wristband for $2

Donation forms are available at WashingtonCollegeSports.com.

The funds raised from the event will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Last year, the Shorewomen raised over $3,000 via “Saves 4 The Cure.”

The game against Gettysburg College will begin at 1:00 p.m. on October 16th.

In 2011, Sultana Projects will be making a significant expansion to its paddling programs.   Currently, Sultana Projects provides educational canoe trips for approximately 500 students annually through its John Smith Trail Expeditions program.   Established in 2008, the Expeditions program provides local students the opportunity to explore portions of the new 2,500-mile Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail on tributaries located within close proximity to their schools. Sultana’s Expeditions program has met with significant success and has operated at capacity for the past two years.   In order to meet the excessive demand, Sultana Projects recently purchased a mobile rig of 16 kayaks to complement its existing 10-canoe rig.   The new kayak rig will be used to provide educational programs for middle-school, high-school and adult groups, while the canoe rig will continue to be used primarily for elementary school groups.   The purchase of Sultana Projects’ new kayak rig was made possible by a generous grant from the Davenport Family Foundation.

As part of the expansion of its paddling programs, Sultana Projects also plans to hire three additional staff in 2011, including a full-time Director of Educational Programs (click here for Job Description) and two seasonal educational staff.  Through the addition of these new positions, Sultana Projects plans to increase its canoe/kayak program capacity by 300% over the next three years.

The first major expansion of Sultana Projects’ paddling programs will take place in the summer of 2011, when the organization will offer week-long kayaking trips as part of its Chesapeake Adventures summer program.   Chesapeake Adventures provides a variety of educational trips on the Chesapeake Bay – including live-aboard trips on the schooner Sultana – for students ages 11-14.   The new Chesapeake Adventures kayak programs will consist of week-long trips that will see participants paddle on several major rivers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, including the Sassafras, Chester, Choptank, Nanticoke, and Pocomoke rivers.   Official dates and locations for all of Sultana Projects’ Chesapeake Adventures programs will be announced in January of 2011.

There’s more to history than meets the eye in Kent County.  The Historical Society of Kent County will be operating Ghost Walks of Historic Chestertown for its second year on Saturdays, October 16 and 23, beginning at 7:30 PM, in front of the White Swan on High Street in Chestertown.  The guided tour by lantern-light will take ticket holders through the streets of Chestertown’s historic district telling tales of the supernatural, murder and mayhem, and local folklore associated with specific properties and Kent County in general.  Tickets are $12 per adult, and $7 for children 12 and under; please call 410-778-3499 or email [email protected] for reservations.