Hancock town briefs

June 11, 2009|By HEATHER KEELS

Town swimming pool might open next week

HANCOCK -- The opening of the Hancock town swimming pool was delayed when town officials learned at the last minute the pool was not in compliance with a new federal pool safety law, Town Manager David Smith said.

The pool had been scheduled to open for Memorial Day weekend, but had to pass a review of its compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, Smith said. The company that repaired the pool last summer had told the town the pool complied with the new regulations, but later said the town would have to pay $2,500 to install new grates, he said.

The grates have been ordered, Smith said. Depending on when they are delivered, the pool could open as early as next week, he said.

Police Department hires second part-time officer

HANCOCK -- The Hancock Police Department hired a second part-time officer this spring, Hancock Police Chief T.J. Buskirk said Wednesday.

The new officer, Rich Miller, started about two weeks ago, Hancock Mayor Daniel A. Murphy said.

The new hire brings the department's total to three full-time officers and two part-time officers, Murphy said.

Two earn $500 scholarships in essay contest

HANCOCK -- Hancock Middle-Senior High School seniors Jill Helmstetter and David Weller were selected to receive $500 scholarships from Pepsi and the Town of Hancock after writing winning essays about what Hancock meant to them, Hancock Mayor Daniel A. Murphy said Wednesday.

Helmstetter lives in Little Orleans, Md., which is in Allegany County, but attended Hancock middle and high schools and wrote she spent more time in Hancock than she did at home. She wrote she liked the town's safety, graduating with the same group of students she had known since sixth grade, and the sense of accountability that comes from being in a close-knit community where someone you know is always watching.

Weller, whose grandfather was a former town manager, wrote he liked the town's smaller class sizes, excellent police presence and less-hectic lifestyle.

Both students plan to attend Frostburg (Md.) State University and pursue careers in education.

New town health insurance plan being considered

HANCOCK -- Hancock officials are considering changing the health insurance plan offered to town employees, Town Manager David Smith said Wednesday.

If the town were to renew its current plan, its cost would increase 35 percent, Wright-Gardner Insurance representative Holly Rusnak told the council. The town could reduce that increase by switching to a plan with higher deductibles, she said. If it took that route, the town could offer a program to offset those costs for users, such as a health reimbursement account (HRA), Rusnak said.

Hancock Mayor Daniel A. Murphy said the town council would study the options before making a decision.

The town currently pays 100 percent of the cost of its employees' health insurance, Town Manager David Smith said.

Engineering firm donates some work on Kirkwood Park project

HANCOCK -- A Hagerstown engineering firm donated a portion of the work it did for a Kirkwood Park project in Hancock, Town Manager David Smith said Wednesday.

Davis, Renn and Associates Inc. donated $1,642 worth of work, Smith said.

Smith and Hancock Mayor Daniel A. Murphy thanked the company for its donation.

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