Bays

An intentionally-set fire caused heavy damage Friday afternoon in two bays of a four-bay garage under renovation in the 800 block of West Washington Street, a Hagerstown fire marshal said. The fire to the rear of 895-897 W. Washington St. was reported shortly after 4 p.m., with flames showing through the roof when firefighters from Antietam, Western Enterprise and Pioneer Hook and Ladder arrived on the scene. Hagerstown Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven said his investigation of the cause of the fire is continuing.

by Joe Crocetta / staff photographer see the enlargement Fire hall expansion proposed South Hagerstown Fire Co. officials said they want to expand their fire hall to add one or two bays for fire engines. Treasurer Tom Cochrane said the fire company will aim for two additional bays on the west side of the 409 W. First St. fire hall. Fire engines can just clear the two existing bays and if the company gets larger trucks, they wouldn't fit, Cochrane said.

WILLIAMSPORT - The Williamsport Volunteer Ambulance Service plans to build a $1 million facility to house its growing fleet and recently purchased a 3-acre plot of land on which to put it. The headquarters will be located on Hopewell Road near Interstate 81 and U.S. 11. [cont. from front page ] When first built in 1969, the current building at 30 W. Salisbury St. met the organization's needs, Chief Dave Hays said. But 30 years later, the town has grown, and so have calls for service - to an average of 1,500 per year.

Town's fire station deteriorated By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKi / Staff Writer SHARPSBURG - Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Co.'s station is showing its age and officials say they need a new building that can support the weight of the fleet. Cracks have appeared in the floor and walls of the building, which was constructed in the 1940s with additions put up in the 1950s and 1970s, Chief Jeremy Gay said. He said the building's bays weren't designed to hold vehicles as heavy as the ones being built today.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - The controversial Antrim Township municipal complex plan that has stirred debate for more than a year among supervisors and residents will not be bid again until at least January 2008. In a 3-2 vote Tuesday evening, the board of supervisors voted to delay the bidding process until 2008, based on a suggestion from Fred Young III, who recently was appointed to the board to fill the vacancy left by Robert Whitmore. "Fred Young feels that he wants to wait until he's an elected member of the board instead of an appointed member, and that won't happen until after the elections in November and then take effect in January," Supervisor Samuel Miller said.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - A Greencastle automobile dealership was given permission to more than double the size of its business by the Borough Council Monday night, a move that will also increase the number of employees at the dealership, its owner said. The council approved plans for Antrim Way Honda at 200 S. Antrim Way to build a new showroom and repair building north of its existing new-car showroom and behind its used-car lot, said owner Greg Weaver.

scottb@herald-mail.com Possible changes under consideration for a new Washington County Hospital were publicly available on the Internet Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - to the surprise of the hospital's top official. A link to the information was on the Washington County Health System's Internet home page. The Health System is the hospital's parent company. The link was removed within 30 minutes of a phone interview with James Hamill, president and chief executive officer of the health system, about the information.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com MERCERSBURG, Pa. - Nick Hodges, a member of an investment group hoping to buy the Whitetail Golf Resort and the 731 acres the property includes, said he brought a preliminary sketch for up to 2,900 single-family and multifamily vacation and yearround homes to the Montgomery Township Planning Commission. Hodges, 30, and his father, Robert Hodges, own BJC Custom Homes & framing of Mercersburg. They and Donald Huber of Seattle formed W.L.L.P., an investment partnership, and have an option to buy the golf course and land around it on Blairs Valley Road from the Hummelstown, Pa., General Authority.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Local, state and federal dignitaries gathered around a small patch of grass in front of a decrepit former car dealership showroom Thursday afternoon and pushed gold-colored shovels into the dry dirt. Then they all tried to jam themselves together to pose for photographers. It was the members of the Waynesboro Ambulance Squad's way of announcing that they were ready to begin construction of their $2.2 million, 14,000-square-foot ambulance garage at 603 W. Main St. Construction should take about nine months, said Brent Frain, squad chairman.

Editor's note: This is the 92nd in a series of articles about the historic and architectural treasures of Washington County. High on South Mountain near Edgemont sits a solitary farm stead dominated by a red brick house, surrounded by forests and orchards, isolated from any community, far from any highway. Jacques Lane, a private way, leads back from Leathers Road through a massive building that spans the road leading into the orchard complex. The brick house is three stories tall.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, recently extended conservation practices funding under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative to April 19. Funding selections are made at specific times throughout the year, with the next round of funding cycle deadlines set for May 17. Applications are accepted, ranked and prioritized based...

A bill that would free up $100 million for public sewer treatment plant upgrades to meet Chesapeake Bay cleanup requirements in eastern West Virginia was advanced Tuesday by state lawmakers. Senate Bill 596 was reported to the House floor Tuesday evening after clearing the House Finance Committee earlier in the day, according to an audio webcast streamed live on the state Legislature's website. The committee passed Senate Bill 596 with a title amendment, which Jefferson County state Sen. Herb Snyder, the bill's lead sponsor, said was technical in nature and “thankfully not significant.” Twelve plants in seven of the eight Eastern Panhandle counties that feed into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed will have access to the $100 million beginning in January, if the bill passes, Snyder has said.

A bill that would give Maryland farmers a 10-year break from new state and local environmental regulations related to water quality if they agree to take part in a state program to reduce nutrient and sediment discharges into the water was heard Tuesday before a House committee. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, D-Charles, has cleared the Senate and has the support of Gov. Martin O'Malley. Del. Andrew A. Serafini, chairman of the Washington County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, also supports the bill.

Did you know that we live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed? Everything we do in our gardens and homes affects the health of the bay and our waterways. It all matters. To improve water quality and conserve natural resources, we teach environmentally smart gardening techniques through the Bay-Wise program. Master Gardeners and I offer classes and do yard reviews to certify landscapes as Bay-Wise.   A Bay-Wise landscape is planted, watered, fertilized, mulched and mowed properly. Pests and runoff are managed responsibly.

Washington County lawmakers were briefed Wednesday on a plan to lessen nutrient discharges to the Chesapeake Bay. The targeted reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus discharges and sediments is expected to cost the county $1.1 billion through 2025, which is the date suggested by the Maryland Department of Environment for meeting the reduced levels. The nutrient reduction target amounts are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Washington County delegation meeting was attended by Robert Summers, secretary of the Maryland Department of Environment, Greg Murray, the county administrator, and Julie Pippel, director of Washington County's Division of Environmental Management.

Western Maryland legislators were briefed on a state plan to reduce the amount of pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay by Robert Summers, secretary of the Maryland Department of Environment, at a delegation meeting Thursday. “2025 is the deadline … as the point where we have to have in place the different pollution control measures that allow the Bay and all its tributaries to meet water quality standards which are required,” Summers said. Del. Andrew A. Serafini, R-Washington, Del. Neil C. Parrott, R-Washington, Sen. Ronald N. Young, D-Frederick/Washington, and Del. LeRoy Myers, R-Allegany/Washington, were the local lawmakers at the meeting.

One of Volvo Group Hagerstown Site's more than 100 Operational Development teams had an idea that raised $32,000 for The Salvation Army.  On Jan. 25, team members toured The Salvation Army facility to see for themselves how donations have been used and are being allocated to an existing vital project.  The idea is known by the site's 1,400 employees as “vBay.” “It started in late 2011, when we assessed the collection of items and...

BayRunner Shuttle has a new location at the Washington County Transit Transfer Center, 123 W. Franklin St. in downtown Hagerstown.  BayRunner serves Washington County, as well as points west with scheduled service to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Amtrak and the Baltimore Greyhound bus terminal. No parking is available at the Franklin Street location, but there is free parking at the 1341 Hughes Ford Road site in Frederick, Md. BayRunner also offers transportation in Western Maryland to Hancock, Cumberland, Frostburg and Grantsville, and east to Frederick.

The Williamsport Town Council approved a resolution earlier this week acknowledging the Chesapeake Bay is impaired by nutrients and sediments, but that it would be fiscally irresponsible for the town to guarantee it will tackle the estimated $11.7 million in town projects recommended to help the bay. Instead, town officials will do what they can over the next 10 to 20 years to make improvements to help the bay, Town Attorney Edward Kuczynski said...

The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to submit a statement in support of a Washington County Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, but said its implementation would be “fiscally irresponsible and financially unfeasible.” The Maryland Department of the Environment has required all municipalities in the county to submit a position statement about the Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan, which was put in place by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agencyafter pollution of the bay was identified as a major problem.