Cruisers

tarar@herald-mail.com A third police officer eventually will be patrolling the town of Smithsburg. The officer, along with a new cruiser, is included in the town's fiscal year 2003 budget, which the Smithsburg Town Council approved in a special meeting Thursday night. The Town Council voted 4-1 to approve the budget. Councilman Mike Rohrer voted against it. The general fund budget lists revenues at $672,331 and expenditures at $666,468, leaving a surplus of $9,863.

A Washington County Sheriff's Department deputy's cruiser rear-ended a station wagon on Md. 64 Sunday, causing extensive damage to the cruiser and two other vehicles, the sheriff's office said. No one was seriously hurt, police said. Deputy Greg Woelfel was westbound at about 11:25 a.m. when his 1998 Crown Victoria hit the back of a station wagon driven by Deborah Florian of Smithsburg, who was waiting to turn left onto Crystal Falls Drive, police said. The impact of the crash sent the station wagon into the eastbound lanes of Md. 64, where it struck a 1987 Dodge Dakota driven by Melissa Shroeder of Martinsburg, W.Va.

tammyb@herald-mail.com andrews@herald-mail.com In an early-morning crash Saturday, a Hagerstown man's car landed on top of a Maryland State Police cruiser on Jefferson Boulevard, police said. State Police said in a news release that Eugene Joseph Gregory Jr., of 1005 Jefferson Blvd., allegedly was trying to elude Hagerstown Police, who had observed him driving eastbound on Jefferson Boulevard, east of Cleveland Avenue, at about 2 a.m. Gregory, whose age was not available, allegedly did not have his headlights on. When Hagerstown Police chased him, Gregory allegedly accelerated and tried to get to his home, misjudged the distance to the driveway and struck the rear of a State Police cruiser that was involved in a separate traffic stop on Jefferson Boulevard.

WILLIAMSPORT -- A Martinsburg, W.Va., woman was taken to the hospital Wednesday after the car she was driving collided with a Washington County Sheriff's Department cruiser near Williamsport, a sheriff's office press release said. Karen Deanne Tucker, age and address unavailable, was taken to Washington County Hospital for treatment of her injuries, the release said. A hospital spokeswoman said Thursday morning that Tucker was not listed as a patient. Tucker pulled into the path of the cruiser at about 8 p.m. as she merged onto U.S. 11 from Interstate 81, the release said.

The Hagerstown Community College Alumni Association will host the U.S. Navy Cruisers as part of its annual Red, White and Blue Concert Series, on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 4 p.m., in HCC's Alumni Amphitheater. The U.S. Navy Cruisers is a seven-member contemporary music ensemble under the leadership of vocalist Senior Chief Musician John L. Fisher. The Cruisers take their name from the Navy's versatile, multi-mission ship, the Cruiser, and perform a variety of music including classic rock, rhythm and blues, oldies from the 1950s and '60s, Motown favorites, as well as today's top 40 hits.

If you were a fan of Harley-Davidson's Road Glide model before, there's even more to like with the 2004 model. Several significant modifications were made to enhance this popular touring bike. Some have said that the Road Glide and Electra Glide touring models are nothing more than Road Kings with fairings, which is way off base. Basic mechanical specs may be similar, but a lot of really worthwhile differences actually exist. Take the fairing for example. The Road Glide fairing is a Sharknose affair with dual headlamps fixed to the frame rather than the front forks.

MERCERSBURG, Pa. - The Mercersburg Borough Council on Thursday unanimously agreed to spend $10,800 on a Chevrolet Impala to serve as a new unmarked police cruiser. The 2005 Impala will replace an aging cruiser that has rust problems, Councilman Josh Meyers said. The council had advertised for bids for a new cruiser and received two, both of which were from Bob Hoffman Chevrolet-Buick-Olds of Chambersburg, Pa. The car dealer offered the silver car with 29,000 miles or a newer model with 22,000 miles for an additional $2,000.

There are always those who will argue that "size doesn't matter," or that "bigger is better. " It's really all a matter of individual perspective. In the case of Kawasaki's Vulcan 1600 Nomad metric cruiser - it's bigger than the old 1500 Nomad and delivers more power and torque, but it's smaller than the gargantuan Vulcan 2000, which for those whose inseams are challenged, can be a chore just to get off the side stand. Could it be then, that the 1600 Nomad, in the midsize range, might be "just right," as in the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" classic children's tale?

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - If the group of mostly middle-aged men who make up the membership of the West Side Cruisers have anything in common besides their love of cars, it's that they like to raise money to give away. Their good works every year, helping a dozen area residents who have become seriously ill or otherwise have fallen on hard times, earned them national recognition as one of only four car clubs in the country to win the Golden Rule Award. It's sponsored by Eagle One, a division of the Valvoline Co. that makes car appearance products.

A Hagerstown man was apprehended Wednesday night following a chase in Maryland and West Virginia that reached speeds of 80 mph, according to the Sgt. Mark Knight of the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Knight said an officer noticed a Toyota pickup with a multi-purpose tag parked outside a gas station and convenience store on West Washington and Nottingham streets. Suspecting the tag might be false, the officer ran a check on the license plate and found out the pickup truck had been reported stolen.