Feasibility Study

MCCONNELLSBURG, Pa. - U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster announced Thursday that the U.S. Economic Development Administration has approved $20,000 for a feasibility study for a new Fulton County Medical Center. In May, Shuster toured the proposed site for the center, 17 acres off U.S. 30 in Todd Township. The land for the project was pledged by Andy Washabaugh, owner of Fulton County Motor Sales. At the time, Shuster said he would request $1 million for the center in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Cooperative Development Grants Program for Fiscal Year 1999.

Decision due on fate of Maugansville, Conococheague schools By TARA REILLY tarar@herald-mail.com The Washington County Board of Education plans to discuss the fate of Maugansville and Conococheague elementary schools within a month, and a final decision on whether to close or renovate the schools must be made by Aug. 15, school officials said Tuesday afternoon. The two schools came up during a meeting with the Washington County Board of Commissioners, during which the School Board asked for a $500,000 increase to its fiscal year 2003-2008 Capital Improvement Plan.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The Letterkenny Industrial Development Authority agreed Monday to provide free space at the depot for a business incubator that would be run by the Franklin County Area Development Corporation. Corporation Executive Director L. Michael Ross, a member of the authority board, asked the authority to provide building space for the proposed incubator, a center to help develop new and small businesses. "Without the building at no cost, frankly, it doesn't work," said David G. Sciamanna, executive director of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and a member of a task force examining the business incubator proposal.

Wolf Lake funding request denied By STACEY DANZUSO / Staff Writer, Chambersburg The borough may put revitalization plans for Wolf Lake on the back burner after a state agency denied its request to fund a feasibility study of the project. "I think we have too many irons in the fire for now," said Bernard Washabaugh, president of the Chambersburg Council. "I, for one, am not interested in a gigantic big plan. I thought it might be nice to clean it up, but I'm not interested in spending one nickel on it. " Residents Pamela Gaudiose and Robert Lesher began pushing for the cleanup of the lake on Wilson College last fall so it could be used for boating and recreational activities.

tarar@herald-mail.com A Hagerstown tourism group has awarded a $66,000 contract to a Chicago firm to study whether a convention and events center is a good idea for Washington County. The Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors gave the contract to HVS International of Chicago on March 27. Ben Hart, executive director of the Visitors Bureau, said Thursday the group will get started on the feasibility study April 16. HVS International will talk to people who plan events, look at possible locations for a center and make recommendations on a size and ways to pay for a center, among other factors in determining whether a facility will make a nice fit in the area, Hart said.

The Hagerstown City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to give $37,500 to a nonprofit group to study building a Civil War museum in Hagerstown. Councilman Bill Breichner voted against granting the money to the Antietam Creek Coalition Inc. He said that other than a list of group members, he doesn't know anything about the coalition. The city's contribution would go toward paying for a $100,000 feasibility study. The study also would be used as part of an application for affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution.

Hagerstown City Council members voted 4-0 on Sept. 22 to make $50,000 in the city's Community Betterment Fund available to conduct a feasibility study for a new minor league baseball stadium, said City Clerk Gann Breichner. The city will pay a Minneapolis firm, Conventions, Sports and Leisure International, $44,500 plus expenses to conduct the study. The firm is expected to report its findings by Nov. 19. City officials need the study's results before the Maryland General Assembly begins its legislative session in January if they want to seek state funding for a new stadium.

SMITHSBURG -- A youth baseball organization is interested in creating baseball diamonds on 2.5 acres of land in Veterans Park along Water Street, a town official said Wednesday. The Smithsburg Little Sluggers league uses two baseball diamonds behind the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Co., according to Brad Nee, an assistant coach with the league. One of those diamonds is often occupied, and some practices have to be held on a separate grassy area to accommodate players, Nee said Wednesday afternoon.

The fate of a new baseball stadium proposed for Hagerstown remains unclear despite four new Washington County Commissioners and a governor who supports stadium funding. Of the next set of commissioners, Gregory I. Snook and William J. Wivell are opposed to county funding for a new stadium. John L. Schnebly and Bert L. Iseminger Jr. remain open-minded, but they have other priorities such as education and reducing the $53 million sewer debt. That's not a stamp of approval on a $10 million stadium project, but it is a shift from having a majority of three - Snook, John S. Shank and James R. Wade - in steadfast opposition.

The Washington County Board of Education voted 5-1 Tuesday night to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of moving its administrative offices downtown. School board member B. Marie Byers reiterated at Tuesday night's board meeting that she wanted the board to get involved and conduct an in-house feasibility study. Byers brought up the issue at last week's board meeting. For months, community and business leaders have been talking about moving the School Board's administrative offices from Commonwealth Avenue to downtown Hagerstown to help revitalize downtown, but no one has approached the full School Board.