Electrical Work

Editor's note: Each Friday, Herald-Mail reporters and editors will answer some of the questions that are called in by readers to Mail Call. Consider this us returning your call. How come Ellsworth gets all these school jobs? Q: "It's amazing how the president of the Board of County Commissioners electrical company, Ellsworth Electric, is getting all these electrical jobs to build these new schools. Maybe it ought to be checked into. " - Hagerstown A: We did a little checking.

After receiving a degree from Hagerstown Business College, Rob Babcock went to work in the graphic design field. But he soon realized that spending eight hours each day in front of a computer was not for him. So Babcock, 31, gave up air conditioning and a desk for a career as an electrician. The Hagerstown resident said he enjoys working at Ellsworth Electric, where he has been employed for more than four years, and wanted to learn more about his career by completing a four-year Associated Builders & Contractors apprenticeship.

Changes are approved to county's handbook MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Berkeley County Commission approved two changes to the county handbook Thursday morning, both dealing with pay. From now on, any extra hours an employee works must be paid for in overtime, rather than compensatory time. All overtime must be approval beforehand by the employee's supervisor. Also, holiday pay is two times the normal pay, not time-and-a-half, said Norwood Bentley III, county legal counsel.

WASHINGTON COUNTY ? Three new elementary schools being built in Washington County are on schedule and expected to open on time, school system officials said Tuesday. Construction has been ongoing at sites for a new Rockland Woods Elementary School and two replacement schools for Maugansville and Pangborn elementary schools since April. "This is quite an undertaking to open three new schools for next fall," said Boyd Michael, assistant superintendent for school operations. Rockland Woods Elementary School is south of Hagerstown off of Sharpsburg Pike in the Westfields housing development.

The Washington County Department of Permits & Inspections will activate an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for contractors and county residents beginning Monday, Dec. 1. By using a touch-tone telephone, callers will now be able to schedule inspections, cancel inspections, obtain results of inspections, check on the status of building permits and obtain county departmental information by fax, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When using the Interactive Voice Response system, callers should know the building permit activity number in order to access information pertaining to building permits.

Town Council members to monitor skateboarders CLEAR SPRING - Members of the Clear Spring Town Council on Monday said they would monitor the behavior of skateboarders who have been making too much noise in the 100 block of Cumberland Street. In addition to being loud, Vice Mayor Steve Blickenstaff said the children have been delaying traffic by taking up too much of the street. Landlord asks council if South Mulberry property can be rented as doctor's office CLEAR SPRING - Clear Spring landlord Jerry Aleshire asked the Town Council on Monday whether he could rent one of his properties on South Mulberry Street as a doctor's office.

Mr. Timothy Ray Laquay, 69, of Cumberland, Md., died Saturday, June 23, 2012, at Devlin Manor Nursing Home, Cumberland, after an extended illness.  Born March 27, 1943, in Hyattsville, Md., he was the son of the late Robert Reginald and Susan Elizabeth Fincham Laquay.  Mr. Laquay served in the U.S. Army. He had been employed as a residential and commercial electrician. He was previously a longtime resident of Hagerstown, and enjoyed motorcycles, his electrical work, spending time with his family and friends, and being an avid Washington Redskins fan.  Surviving are a son, Tim D. Trumbull of Laurel, Md.; twin stepdaughters, Alicia and Dani; grandchildren, “Drew Bug,” Kelsey Brewer, Zachariah, Erin and Glenn; and a sister, Carolyn G. Harlow of Salisbury, Md.  He was preceded in death by three brothers, Charles R., Donald D. and Arthur R. Laquay.

Man dies of job site injury By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer SHARPSBURG - A Sharpsburg man who died Sunday in a construction accident was electrocuted while building a house in Columbia, Md. Jay Allan "Bird" Cline Jr., 27, of 216 E. Chapline St., was doing electrical work when the accident occurred, his wife, Ave Maria Cline, said Monday. He died at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md. Sunday. The Maryland State Occupational Safety and Health administration was investigating the accident, said Occupational Safety and Health administration spokeswoman Karen Napolitano.

Electrical contract awarded to Ellsworth The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday awarded a $199,500 contract to Ellsworth Electric Co. of Hagerstown for two generators and electrical service upgrades at four Highway Department sites. The commissioners awarded the contract by a 3-2 vote. County Commissioners Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioner John C. Munson voted against the award. Wivell said the $199,500 bid was higher than what was budgeted.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com After earlier this month rejecting the lone bid on the Village on the Falling Spring project as too high, the Chambersburg Borough Council on Monday night authorized that bids for the project be restructured in three pieces to try to bring it within budget. The only bid received on the project had been for more than $4 million, though borough engineers estimated the cost of the downtown park, street and walkway improvements at about $2.6 million.

Lifelong Chambersburg resident Harold “Jiggs” Kennedy celebrates not only his 93rd birthday this week, but also his retirement. Friday is Kennedy's final day as an electrical inspector for Commonwealth Code Inspection Service Inc. For the past 28 years, Kennedy has been inspecting electrical work in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Chambersburg Borough Council honored him this week with a resolution. Kennedy received the accolade in a familiar setting, since he was a Second Ward councilman for 20 years until 2001.

Mr. Timothy Ray Laquay, 69, of Cumberland, Md., died Saturday, June 23, 2012, at Devlin Manor Nursing Home, Cumberland, after an extended illness.  Born March 27, 1943, in Hyattsville, Md., he was the son of the late Robert Reginald and Susan Elizabeth Fincham Laquay.  Mr. Laquay served in the U.S. Army. He had been employed as a residential and commercial electrician. He was previously a longtime resident of Hagerstown, and enjoyed motorcycles, his electrical work, spending time with his family and friends, and being an avid Washington Redskins fan.  Surviving are a son, Tim D. Trumbull of Laurel, Md.; twin stepdaughters, Alicia and Dani; grandchildren, “Drew Bug,” Kelsey Brewer, Zachariah, Erin and Glenn; and a sister, Carolyn G. Harlow of Salisbury, Md.  He was preceded in death by three brothers, Charles R., Donald D. and Arthur R. Laquay.

Here is a list of road and lane closures in the area for Tuesday, July 19: * One lane and the right shoulder of northbound Interstate 81 is closed at the National Pike (U.S. 40 ) exit (Exit 6) for electrical work, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration's website. Closure is expected to remain in effect until Wednesday, July 20, between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day. * Salem Avenue is closed to through traffic between Burhans Boulevard and West Side Avenue for preparation for a sanitary sewer inspection and pavement repair, according to the City of Hagerstown.

HAGERSTOWN -- Washington County businesses are missing opportunities for work at Fort Detrick, some local business officials said Tuesday during a networking event hosted by the Fort Detrick Alliance. Before people commute to Washington, D.C., they should stop at Fort Detrick in Frederick County, Md., and see if they can work directly or contractually for the fort, said Kervin R. Spivey, a retired soldier who worked at the fort and is owner of Jen-esis, a telecommunications company in Hagerstown.

HAGERSTOWN -- For some, it's the family business. For others, it's a second career. About 40 men competed Saturday in the annual Apprenticeship Craft Olympics at the Barr Construction Institute. For four years, they've apprenticed and studied electrical, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry. On Saturday, they spent the day working in front of judges, most of whom were masters in their fields. Morgan Collis of Martinsburg, W.Va., is a carpentry student. It's the family business, Collis said, and he plans to continue working in the field when he completes school.

Town Council members to monitor skateboarders CLEAR SPRING - Members of the Clear Spring Town Council on Monday said they would monitor the behavior of skateboarders who have been making too much noise in the 100 block of Cumberland Street. In addition to being loud, Vice Mayor Steve Blickenstaff said the children have been delaying traffic by taking up too much of the street. Landlord asks council if South Mulberry property can be rented as doctor's office CLEAR SPRING - Clear Spring landlord Jerry Aleshire asked the Town Council on Monday whether he could rent one of his properties on South Mulberry Street as a doctor's office.

BOONSBORO - Marjorie Griffith has long been interested in rocket and space shuttle launches. As she followed news stories of the wayward satellite stopped in its path by the air-defense missile system in February, it triggered memories of her past. "I've seen a lot of history," said Griffith, 95, who was born in Luray, Va. She said she has vivid memories, even though she was only 5 years old, of watching the "war train" leave Luray in November 1918 loaded with soldiers. "I saw nothing but people crying.

BOONSBORO -- Marjorie Griffith has long been interested in rocket and space shuttle launches. As she followed news stories of the wayward satellite stopped in its path by the air-defense missile system in February, it triggered memories of her past. "I've seen a lot of history," said Griffith, 95, who was born in Luray, Va. She said she has vivid memories, even though she was only 5 years old, of watching the "war train" leave Luray in November 1918 loaded with soldiers. "I saw nothing but people crying.

Editor's note: Each Friday, Herald-Mail reporters and editors will answer some of the questions that are called in by readers to Mail Call. Consider this us returning your call. How come Ellsworth gets all these school jobs? Q: "It's amazing how the president of the Board of County Commissioners electrical company, Ellsworth Electric, is getting all these electrical jobs to build these new schools. Maybe it ought to be checked into. " - Hagerstown A: We did a little checking.

WASHINGTON COUNTY ? Three new elementary schools being built in Washington County are on schedule and expected to open on time, school system officials said Tuesday. Construction has been ongoing at sites for a new Rockland Woods Elementary School and two replacement schools for Maugansville and Pangborn elementary schools since April. "This is quite an undertaking to open three new schools for next fall," said Boyd Michael, assistant superintendent for school operations. Rockland Woods Elementary School is south of Hagerstown off of Sharpsburg Pike in the Westfields housing development.