The Local Source for News and Information Since 1980
DENTON – The three Caroline County Commissioners met June 24 and introduced legislation, heard an update about the work of Upper Shore Aging and discussed the future Lockerman Middle School, as well as how to honor its rich history preserved by its alumni association.
While a final decision hasn’t been made about the location of a new Lockerman Middle School (LMS), the Commissioners all agreed that honoring its past was important as plans for a new building move forward.
Both Vice President Larry Porter, who presided as President Travis Breeding attended remotely, and Commissioner Frank Bartz agreed that the new school would be better suited to the campus of North Caroline High School.
Porter and Bartz agreed it was important that the history of the school building be preserved in the building.
Breeding asked if any part of the “old historical school” remained at the site, but no one at the meeting knew the answer. He said he had talked to alumna and Board of Education president Michele Wayman, who said the YMCA had shown some interest in the building.
The historically black Lockerman High School, founded in 1930, was named after educator Joseph Harrison Lockerman who was born in 1862 in Denton.
Breeding suggested the Commissioners draft a letter stating their intent to “retain the name of the building” and dedicate a portion of it as a type of museum detailing the history of the school. Porter said something similar had been done to commemorate the VFW building on Greensboro Road that now houses the Caroline County Public Schools Support Services offices.
In other business, Katie Stinton of Upper Shore Aging presented the fiscal year 2026 Caroline Senior Care Program Plan, which the Commissioners approved.
Stinton said the agency had served 67 seniors in Caroline County so far in 2025. Women comprise 71% of those served, while 40% are black or African American, 60% are 80 years old or older, 47% live alone and 47% live below the poverty level of $1,304 of income per month.
The agency serves seniors who want to age in place in their homes, thus avoiding or delaying the high cost of nursing home care funded by Medicaid. “If we can defer going into a nursing home or taxing our health care system, it's a win-win,” Stinton said. “We're trying to keep people off Medicaid and give them a better quality of life in the community for as long as possible.”
Legislative Bill 2025-007 was introduced by County Attorney Stewart Barroll. The proposed emergency legislation would amend a section of the County Code by adding a subsection allowing “for non-accessory wastewater treatment facilities to be permitted by special use exception in the R-Rural zoning district, provided that the facility meets certain conditions.”
The legislation would allow an existing facility that closed but had a discharge permit to reopen and obtain that permit again, “as long as it's used in the exact historical fashion as it was used before,” said Caroline County Planning and Codes Director Crystal Dadds. “The generating facility and the treatment facility (have to be) owned and operated by the same entity.”
A second reading of the legislation and public hearing is set for Tuesday, July 8, with the potential for enactment Tuesday, July 22. As an emergency bill it would become effective on the day it is enacted.
During the public comment section, Rena Callahan of Harmony asked the Commissioners to consider renaming Harmony Community Park after her older brother, the late Roger Layton, who served as a County Commissioner for eight years and was a longtime baseball and softball coach.
One consent agenda item was discussed. The contract for the Caroline County Courthouse clocktower restoration was awarded to Tecta America East LLC, based in Fruitland, Maryland. Public Works Director Robin Eaton will look into possibly delaying the $252,960 project until after Summerfest, Friday, Aug. 15, and Saturday, Aug.16.
Also on the consent agenda were:
The agenda with links to documents is available at carolinemd.org. Meetings are live-streamed. The next meeting of the Commission is 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, at the Caroline County Courthouse, Denton.
