Community Leaders

Twenty-five years ago, community leaders were asked to predict what they thought Washington County would be like in 2010. Those making the predictions in 1985 at the request of The Herald-Mail envisioned urban sprawl, technology playing a major role in classrooms and a decrease in manufacturing jobs, among other things. They got a lot right, including the predictions of growth and urban sprawl. And they got a few things wrong. For instance, John P. Corderman, who at the time was a Washington County Circuit judge, predicted that Mack Trucks would have left the county.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin told community leaders in the Eastern Panhandle Friday to pick their top priority to spur economic development as a region and avoid only looking out for their own small territories. “You can't go down (to Washington, D.C.) there with a wish list and think we're going to do it all,” Manchin, D-W.Va., told a bipartisan group of political and business leaders at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg. The “Coffee and Commonsense” lunch-time session was the last of four stops that Manchin made before leaving Martinsburg Friday afternoon for Fairmont, W.Va.

Attorneys, business leaders and elected officials will be among the "stars" performing Saturday, Nov. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Hagerstown Elks Club in celebration of the 125th anniversary of San Mar Children's Home. Dressed in song-appropriate costumes, community leaders will perform classic songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Businessmen Jim Baker, Vincent Groh and Tom Newcomer, Washington County Health System President Jim Hamill, attorneys Jeanne Singer and Gina Cirincion, and businesswomen Peggy Bushey, Julie Donat, Judy Greenwald, Cynthia Moler and Cynthia Perini are among those who will perform.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” - Martin Luther King Jr. speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 23, 1963.   More than 250 area residents, white and black, broke bread together to celebrate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights martyr of the turbulent 1960s whose leadership helped bring the races together.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - In his final weeks as commander of the Letterkenny Army Depot, Col. Robert English III told community leaders Monday they need to help drum up support for the depot's uncertain future. The depot survived several rounds of base closures, although it was significantly downsized in the mid-1990s, and officials hope it can make it through the next round resulting from the Congressional Base Realignment and Closure Act in 2005. English outlined several new missions the depot has undertaken or expects to take on to about 20 members of the Greater Chambersburg 21st Century Partnership, a coalition of government, business and community members.

James Fisher and Edith Weedon, who lived through the Civil Rights movement and have been lifetime members of what they said is the only predominantly African-American Church in South County, spent time Thursday in the Boonsboro High School library for a luncheon celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discussing opportunities for students to get more involved in the community. “This shows progress being made,” said Mount Moriah Baptist Church member Edith Weedon of Pleasant Valley.

A team of seventh-graders from Smithsburg Middle School recently finished first in the fifth annual 6th Congressional District Project Citizen Showcase at Hagerstown Community College. Springfield Middle School finished second in the event and Clear Spring Middle School placed third. The students presented a project about a local issue to a panel of judges comprised of educators and community leaders. All seventh-graders participated in the process, and each middle school selected one group for presentation at the district showcase.

The authors of a plan to fight drugs and crime in several Hagerstown neighborhoods will meet with the community this week. Charles R. Messmer, one of the coordinators of the so-called "HotSpot Community Initiative" will meet Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Memorial Recreation Center at 109 W. North St., said his secretary Judy Keckler. Keckler said letters were sent to community leaders informing them of the meeting. Anyone who wants to voice concerns is encouraged to attend, she said.

Douglas E. Copenhaver Jr. said he has received 50 pages of emails, most from people begging for help with drug and alcohol problems since news of his 22-year-old son's death last weekend spread in the community.   "There's a lot of people out there hurting ... a lot of people," the Berkeley County Council member said before a memorial service for his son, Douglas S. Copenhaver began Wednesday night at The Living Room. Copenhaver, of Hedgesville, W.Va., died Friday night after the sport utility vehicle he was driving crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of Edwin Miller Boulevard and District Way near Martinsburg after being stopped minutes earlier by police for having defective equipment.

The Hagerstown Rotary Club sponsored two South Hagerstown High School students, Taylor Davis and Danielle Davis, to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award  program at Juniata College in June.   The training program is designed for young adults with proven leadership ability and a commitment to community service.   Danielle and Taylor developed their leadership skills and character, while gaining exposure to a variety of issues. They also had the opportunity to meet community leaders and to reach out to the local community.

James Fisher and Edith Weedon, who lived through the Civil Rights movement and have been lifetime members of what they said is the only predominantly African-American Church in South County, spent time Thursday in the Boonsboro High School library for a luncheon celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discussing opportunities for students to get more involved in the community. “This shows progress being made,” said Mount Moriah Baptist Church member Edith Weedon of Pleasant Valley.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” - Martin Luther King Jr. speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 23, 1963.   More than 250 area residents, white and black, broke bread together to celebrate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights martyr of the turbulent 1960s whose leadership helped bring the races together.

Name: Jeffrey Coney Date of birth: July 19, 1961 Address: 201 Jackson Ave. Education: Graduate of York (Pa.) High School, 1980; holds industry certifications Occupation: Program manager, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Party affiliation: Republican Political experience: None Q: A significant amount of public taxpayer money over a long period has been committed to help pay for the local share of...

Talk with locals old enough to remember, and they will describe post-World War II Hagerstown as the center of the universe, using words like “crowded,” “bustling,” and “exciting.” A trip into “The City” was a big deal. Downtown was the source of everything from hardware to table linen, and the central role Hagerstown played in everyone's life created a shared sense of community. Even adjusting for nostalgia, they describe a healthy and vibrant economic core, the re-creation of which would boost the entire county's economic fortunes.

John R. “Jack”  Hershey Jr., who died Wednesday, was known for his flair in the financial industry and his deep involvement in the community. But he also had a sense of humor. Jerry Spessard, business manager of J. Gruber's “Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack,” related a story Thursday to show how Hershey's unique outlook on life made for lasting memories. In the 1960s, Hershey was in charge of a  Valentine's Day dance at Fountain Head Country Club when fire broke out in the building, Spessard said.

If the Washington County Board of Education Central Office were a prison, and some might argue that it is, the courts would declare its conditions to be an unconstitutional breach of inmates' rights. Spongy floors, asbestos, a terrarium's worth of various and sundry spores flowering throughout, an odor commensurate with the day's humidity and so on are all part of the package. And that would just be the health and safety issues. For those with an eye on the bottom line, the building, cobbled together through the years, is a money pit. It's already $5 million worth of maintenance in arrears, and the cost of keeping it together with duct tape and bailing twine will only increase.

A team of seventh-graders from Smithsburg Middle School recently finished first in the fifth annual 6th Congressional District Project Citizen Showcase at Hagerstown Community College. Springfield Middle School finished second in the event and Clear Spring Middle School placed third. The students presented a project about a local issue to a panel of judges comprised of educators and community leaders. All seventh-graders participated in the process, and each middle school selected one group for presentation at the district showcase.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin told community leaders in the Eastern Panhandle Friday to pick their top priority to spur economic development as a region and avoid only looking out for their own small territories. “You can't go down (to Washington, D.C.) there with a wish list and think we're going to do it all,” Manchin, D-W.Va., told a bipartisan group of political and business leaders at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg. The “Coffee and Commonsense” lunch-time session was the last of four stops that Manchin made before leaving Martinsburg Friday afternoon for Fairmont, W.Va.

Athletic standout and community leader Patrick James "Jim" Fahey died Thursday at age 85.   "I call him one of the greatest generation," said his son, James T. Fahey, owner of Hub City Builders. "I consider him my best friend. He was a great influence in my life. He was a great father and very devoted Catholic. " The elder Fahey died at Julia Manor Health Care Center following a long and fulfilling life, according to his obituary. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and also St. Ann Catholic Church, his son said.

Andy Bruns, The Herald-Mail's new publisher, invited a breakfast crowd to fire away Wednesday morning - and they did. Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II asked about the newspaper's coverage of the city's attempt to build up downtown. He said he was told The Frederick News-Post championed Frederick's renaissance starting 30 years ago, but “we don't have that here.” Bruchey also asked Bruns about a recent Herald-Mail headline that a stabbing in the 300 block of North Jonathan Street, north of Franklin Street, happened “downtown.” He said it was inaccurate and feeds into a negative image of downtown.