City Editor

John League, editor and publisher of The Herald-Mail Co., has been elected president of the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Press Association. His term will run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2005. The association has 164 newspaper members, which includes all of the daily newspapers, and the great majority of non-dailies, in the three jurisdictions. MDDC promotes the interests of the newspaper industry and its readers. Its goal is to raise the standards and practices of the newspaper industry, and to preserve and protect the public's access to government information.

West Virginia State Police West Virginia State Police troopers are collecting toys and nonperishable food items for the state's needy residents in cooperation with the Salvation Army. This marks the seventh year the agency has worked to collect goods to help others. More than 100,000 toys and food items have been collected by 60 state police detachments over the years through the project. Last year, more than $6,000 in toys and food was collected. The Salvation Army requests that only nonperishable food items and new and still usable toys be delivered to state police locations.

Editor's Note: A number of religious and civic groups will host Thanksgiving day dinners throughout the Tri-State area on Thursday. To provide information about a dinner your group is hosting for the public, call City Editor Liz Thompson at 301-733-5131 or e-mail lizt@herald-mail.com . The following is a list of meals planned for Thursday: · Martinsburg, W.Va., Union Rescue Mission, 602 W. King St., on Thanksgiving Day, meals will include an 8 a.m. breakfast, a 1 p.m. dinner and a 5 p.m. supper.

HAGERSTOWN -- The Herald-Mail's new executive editor is Jake Womer. Womer joined the newspaper in January 2003 as Lifestyle editor and has served as assistant city editor for the last nine months. Womer, 32, who lives near Hagerstown, was named executive editor this week. He said he's looking forward to guiding The Herald-Mail. "It's a tumultuous time and an exciting time in newspapers," he said. "There's change brewing. I think we're positioning ourselves to be the news source of Washington County and the Tri-State area, and I want to lead those efforts.

    Name Department Title Phone Fax Email Alicia Notarianni Newsroom Community Reporter 301-733-5131, ext.   2300 Send Email Amy Dulebohn Newsroom Lifestyle Page Designer 301-791-6218 Send Email Andrew Schotz Newsroom Reporter 301-791-7482 ...

This week's column might be of interest for those of you who think the newspaper doesn't do enough to celebrate the athletic and academic excellence of the region's high school students and teams. I never thought it was a fair criticism, anyway. And it's one I can disprove mathematically, given the tremendous amount of space we devote weekly to education issues, sporting events, honor roll lists, school-related feature stories and such. But that's a topic for another day. Earlier this month we wanted to write a positive, front-page feature story recognizing North and South Hagerstown high schools for earning a spot in the Maryland state basketball tournament.

scottb@herald-mail.com The head of the Washington County Teachers Association advised teachers not to cooperate with The Herald-Mail on stories about teachers' salaries because he said it was an invasion of teachers' privacy. "What can you do? Do not speak to this reporter! The choice is strictly yours," Claude Sasse, the association's president, wrote in an e-mail to teachers sent around Nov. 29. "Please advise your colleagues who have been contacted but who may not see this e-mail ... of our advice.

Editor's Note: Many loved ones of Tri-State area residents continue to serve in Iraq and other overseas locations. The Herald-Mail continues its salute to those who serve and will print the pictures of and information about as many service personnel as possible. Send a picture with the following information: Name, age, hometown, the branch of the military and the unit they belong to, and their job while serving. Also include parents' and spouses' names, and towns of residence. For information, contact Liz Thompson, city editor, at 301-733-5131, ext. 7682, or send an e-mail to lizt@herald-mail.

Change can be a good thing. I've learned that over the years as my duties as an editor have changed at The Herald-Mail. Several weeks ago, my duties changed again as part of the restructuring of the copy desk here. With this change came a new job title (assistant city editor) and a pile of responsibilities. To sum it up, I am responsible for The Herald-Mail's Opinion and Money pages. I also plan coverage of Saturday events for the Sunday paper, which is our biggest paper of the week.

"I am doing quite well during my first full day of my most recent chemotherapy cycle. On a stomach scale of 1-10, with 1 being the mildly unsettling feeling you have when you lean back too far in your chair and at the last minute you regain your balance and 10 representing the extreme uneasiness you feel after riding the "Widow-maker" at the County Fair and celebrating with a big bowl of month-old macaroni salad which has been stored outside, with...