· A police report stated that two local women had been operating as shoplifters for some time, and the amount of merchandise stolen was in the thousands of dollars.
One of the women was quoted as saying she had turned to shoplifting because her family found it difficult to make ends meet. Her husband earns $52 per week, and they have four small children. She said she had previously made a shoplifting trip to Chambersburg to obtain paper plates, cups, napkins, hats and favors for a birthday party for one child.
· The Church of the Brethren put its new air conditioning system into use for the first time yesterday. It is believed to be the first church in Hagerstown with a central air conditioning for the sanctuary.
The system will also provided much needed relief in the form of noise elimination. The church on East Washington Street has suffered from the noise of heavy traffic during services up to now. It will now be possible to keep all doors and windows closed in the sanctuary, preventing most of the outside noise from being heard within.
Week of June 15, 1983
· The Washington County Commissioners don't want anybody to get bent out of shape over a farebox flap on the County Commuter buses. So Tuesday, they considered changing a long-standing policy that prohibits bus drivers from handling money.
Commissioner John Salvatore suggested the change, after complaints from passengers who lost their quarters to a farebox that had been jammed by bent coins. The only way for those people to get their quarters back is to go to the public transportation office on West Washington Street.
Salvatore suggested drivers might carry change to reimburse riders for the money they lose in the farebox. The county's policy on prohibiting bus drivers from carrying cash or having access to the coin box is based on a national trend that helps to prevent holdups on buses.
From the Opinion page:
· As traffic increases and planes get heavier, it figures that the Washington County Regional Airport will need to be updated to meet demands of air travelers.
The local airport will be improved at a cost of close to $1 million, thanks to approval of the federal Department of Transportation. Local expenditures will be minimal.
Longer runways and better navigational aids are safety features which will constitute the major segment of the additions.
A convenient airport is an asset to any community, and with Hagerstown only 10 minutes away, the area facility is sure to be a county showplace, especially if the passenger waiting room and boarding area are enlarged.
·Motor vehicular traffic and parking have become hot issues in and near downtown Hagerstown, particularly in the areas of North Potomac Street and King Street.
Which reminds us of a sage comment by a member of the then- Board of Street Commissioners: "There's nothing wrong with traffic; just too many automobiles."
- Compiled by Kelly Moreno
