Baltimore County

Truth is, downzoning hurts land values By Tom Firey Voting 4-1 to accept a new comprehensive plan for development, Washington County's commissioners indicated last Wednesday that they will downzone some 80 percent of county ground in the coming months. Current zoning allows for a density of between one house per acre and one house per three acres on that land; after downzoning, 22.6 percent of county ground will be zoned for one house per 30 acres, another 30.4 percent will be zoned one house per 20 acres, and 28.4 percent will be zoned one house per five acres.

Engagement Announcements for 4/21 Trovinger-Michael Fred and Sharon Shobe Trovinger of Frostburg, Md., wish to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelli Irene, to Brian Robert Michael, son of Eileen Michael of Silver Spring, Md. Ms. Trovinger is the granddaughter of Hilda Trovinger and Catherine Shobe, both of Hagerstown, the late Fred Trovinger Sr. and the late Robert Shobe. Ms. Trovinger is a 1989 graduate of Beall High School in Frostburg, a 1994 graduate of Frostburg State University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and is pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership at Saint Leo University in Tampa, Fla. She is employed as a fifth-grade teacher at San Antonio Elementary School near Tampa.

Man guilty of discharging gun in store By JULIE E. GREENE / Staff Writer A Hancock man received probation before judgment Monday after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm in a liquor store in Hancock, officials said. Douglas Burnett, 33, of Main Street, has paid almost $800 in restitution to the owners of two vehicles damaged by the bullet after it went through a wall of the store, his attorney, Wiley Rutledge, told Washington County Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley.

Washington County Republicans are gearing up for the annual Lincoln Day Dinner next month. U.S. Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., R-Md., who represents Baltimore County in Congress, is the featured speaker for the event, which will take place May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Hagerstown Elks Club. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, R-Md., and Rep. George Gekas, R-Pa., also will deliver remarks at the GOP event, according to Lincoln Dinner chairman Richard G. Everhart. Last year's Lincoln Day dinner drew about 300 people.

Sharon Lorraine Stouffer and James Christopher Kelly were married Saturday, April 1, 2000, at Hagerstown City Park. The bride is the daughter of the late Daisy Elgin and Lawrence Metz. The bridegroom is the son of Genevieve Remele and the late John Kelly. The bride is a graduate of South Hagerstown High School. She is employed by Merkle Response Services in Hagerstown. The bridegroom is a graduate of Allegany High School in Cumberland, Md. He is employed in maintenance by Hadley Farms in Smithsburg.

ANNAPOLIS - Four of six Washington County delegates voted against a Baltimore County condemnation bill Tuesday, possibly jeopardizing the chances of having South Mountain designated a state battlefield this year. The Maryland House of Delegates voted 90 to 35 to give Baltimore County the power to displace up to 1,600 people. "This is still nothing but a land-grab motivated by greed. They call this revitalization. I call it rape," said Del. Diane DeCarlo, D-Baltimore/Harford.

Washington County Schools Deputy Superintendent Theresa Flak said Thursday she has applied for a job as superintendent of Baltimore County Schools. Flak is the local school system's second in command. Hired as assistant superintendent for instruction July 1, 1997, she oversees curriculum for all schools and assists Schools Superintendent Herman G. Bartlett Jr. The Washington County Board of Education in September gave Flak a promotion that changed her job description, salary and title.

When two leaky 1,800-gallon propane tanks caught fire at the Coca-Cola plant in Baltimore County, Md., last week, the Washington County Special Operations Team and a local heating company went to the rescue. On Thursday, a forklift operator at the plant had damaged the propane tanks, which leaked several hundred gallons of the flammable liquid, said John Bentley, special ops deputy coordinator. Firefighters from Baltimore County put out the 50-foot flames shooting from the tanks but the heat had melted the valves, making it impossible to shut them off completely, Bentley said.