Election

We should thank veterans, active military for our freedom To the editor: Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor and remind us to thank our vets and active military. Have you ever thought where we would be without them? I have, and let me tell you, it is not a pretty thought. I could never do their job. It is not a gift-giving day as such, but there is a gift involved - our freedom and safety. It is a gift from our military to us civilians. Living close to Antietam Battlefield with all the re-enactments going on recently was a little disturbing at times.

Dear Newly Elected Mayor Gysberts and City Council: First, let me say congratulations on your victory in Tuesday's election. During the campaign, all the candidates talked about jobs and revitalization. Now comes the hard part: turning those ideas into reality. Hagerstown is a great place to work and live, and so with the worst of the economic slump behind us, the business community looks forward to helping you leverage everything our community has to offer. At times, we might disagree on some of the specifics, but we share the big-picture goal.

A new Hagerstown mayor and three new city council members will take office later this month, marking a change in leadership at City Hall. And not a moment too soon, according to some residents like Michael Robinson, a 7-year resident of 181 Summit Ave., right across the street from the site where city's proposed downtown multiuse sports and events center (MUSEC) might be built. “If the stadium moves here, I am leaving,” Robinson said Thursday. Robinson was one of several people who reacted Thursday to the results of city elections and how it could affect the proposed $37 million MUSEC project that could be the new home of the Hagerstown Suns.

It is once again time for the annual column that I write once every four years announcing the winners and losers in this week's presidential election. Winner: The winners. Loser: The losers. Winner: My bedtime. Worry about the economy and national debt if that's what floats your boat, but as an aging male I was terrified by stories of how close this election was and how we would have to sit up for 2,874 consecutive hours before a winner was determined. I could have lived with either candidate, but I really resented the idea that national politics might interfere with my personal schedule.

The political landscape in Franklin County, Pa., will remain virtually unchanged after Tuesday's election. U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, state Reps. Rob Kauffman and Todd Rock, and state Sen. Richard Alloway all won re-election. About 72 percent of Franklin County's 87,400 registered voters went to the polls. Of them, about 24,000 voted “straight party” for Republican candidates and 8,500 for Democratic candidates. Shuster, a Republican, won 62 percent of the vote in the race for the Ninth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

The unofficial numbers from early voting and Tuesday's polling showed 59,238 of the 87,294 people registered cast ballots. That is approximately 68 percent of registered voters, according to Board of Election records. However, that number does not include the 3,371 absentee ballots issued before the election. By Wednesday afternoon, 2,725 of those had been received and logged, but more came in Wednesday's mail and more will arrive over the next several days, Election Supervisor Pamela Byrd said.

The following are up-to-date election results for some local and U.S. races voted on by Wasington County, Md., residents (Washington County results reflect early voting and 54 of 54 precincts reporting):   U.S. President 1,837 of 1,858 precincts reported statewide; early voting and 54 of 54 precincts reporting in Washington County): Barack Obama, Democrat (i) -   1,488,162 (statewide); 23,282 (Washington County) Mitt Romney, Republican - 898,388 (statewide)

Strong voter turnout coupled with confusion at polling places kept phones ringing non-stop throughout the day Tuesday for the Franklin County (Pa.) Board of Elections. In Waynesboro, police responded to the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren polling place at about 1:15 p.m. Poll workers said two people wanted to hang around inside and did not leave when asked, Police Chief James Sourbier said. No arrests were made, and officers checked other polls to ensure the individuals did not cause problems there, he said.