New Leaders

As the United States works its way out of the current recession, several counties in Maryland are primed to take advantage of new economic opportunities, a local Chamber of Commerce executive said Thursday night. Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Brien Poffenberger said Washington County is one of those counties. “I really think that we are the next generation of prosperity in Maryland,” he said. Poffenberger's comments came during his State of the Chamber speech at the Chamber's 93rd annual meeting before a large crowd at Fountain Head Country Club.

Ranson hires two new leaders RANSON, W.Va. - The Ranson Town Council hired a city administrator and a city manager at Tuesday night's council meeting. With the move, two men will run the town, one serving as an experienced mentor to the other, said Ranson Mayor David Hamill. Ed Thorne, a former Ranson city administrator, was rehired as city manager. He last worked for Ranson in 1984 after working for about 12 years as the town's manager. "The city manager will be a seasoned individual with myriad experience to get Ranson back on its feet," Hamill said.

laurae@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - After a major organizational shakeup at Community Rescue Service last month, new leaders said Wednesday they're working to heal the ailing ambulance company. Four new board members were recruited to replace four who quit last month. They attended their first regular meeting Wednesday night. CRS President Terry Gearhart said he also plans to fill three more board seats that have been vacant for the last few years. Gearhart said CRS tried to find people from the business community to help improve the situation at the county's busiest ambulance company.

A couple of weeks ago, I suggested to you that I would ask local leaders to submit a response of up to 500 words outlining that leader's view on the concept of leadership. Over the next few months, maybe one a month, I'll fulfill my promise to you and our local leaders. I have chosen our elected board of Washington County Commissioners as the first group to comment on leadership. Later, I will ask the mayors of our municipalities for their input. If the first few go well — which means getting some feedback from you, the readers — I might even ask some private sector leaders to comment.

By BRENDAN KIRBY / Staff Writer photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer With a bow to the old and the new, the Washington County Board of Education picked new leaders Tuesday. After being sworn in at a ceremony in the board auditorium, the board elected returning board member Edwin Hayes president and new member Paul W. Bailey vice president. J. Herbert Hardin, who nominated Hayes, said members wanted a leader who could provide continuity.

St. James receives $1 million gift By TARA REILLY / Staff Writer Saint James School recently received a $1 million gift from a Virginia-based scholarship foundation. The gift will be put in the George and Carol Olmsted Scholarship Fund at the school for candidates who need financial help to pay for tuition at Saint James, according to a statement from the school. The fund was set up in 1995 with a $15,000 grant from the foundation, which has been adding to the fund annually.

Charleston needs some new leaders To the editor: As a taxpayer, I am greatly disappointed in Governor Wise and the West Virginia legislative leaders who wasted more than $100,000 on a special session that was dominated by a proposal to raise the legal weight limit on coal trucks. They then adjourned after four days without passing the bill. Why? The legislative leadership in Charleston has clearly lost its way. They can't get anything done. That is why we need fresh new leaders elected to the Legislature who will push for the issues that matter most - road building, lower tax rates, more jobs.

'We the People' An AP Government Class at BHS, led by teacher Karri Ernst, has won the state "We the People" competition. The competition tests the students' knowledge of our Constitution. This is the second year in a row that a team from Boonsboro has advanced to the national competition in Washington, D.C. As with all things, though, the win comes with expenses. Ernst said the cost for the team to travel, stay and compete in the competition is nearly $15,000. The team is in full fundraising mode.

SAINT JAMES Paul Tagliabue knows leaders when he sees them. During his 17-year tenure as commissioner of the National Football League, Tagliabue had a front-row seat to watch Joe Montana, Brett Farve and John Elway lead their teams to Super Bowl titles. Tagliabue had a similar vantage point Sunday as he got a good look at the likes of James Knable and Brittany Olenczak. This time, Tagliabue was catching a glimpse of the leaders of the future. Tagliabue spoke during the outdoor graduation ceremony on the central lawn of Saint James School.

SAINT JAMES - Paul Tagliabue knows leaders when he sees them. During his 17-year tenure as commissioner of the National Football League, Tagliabue had a front-row seat to watch Joe Montana, Brett Favre and John Elway lead their teams to Super Bowl titles. Tagliabue had a similar vantage point Sunday as he got a good look at the likes of James Knable and Brittany Olenczak. This time, Tagliabue was catching a glimpse of the leaders of the future. Tagliabue spoke during the outdoor graduation ceremony on the central lawn of Saint James School.

As the United States works its way out of the current recession, several counties in Maryland are primed to take advantage of new economic opportunities, a local Chamber of Commerce executive said Thursday night. Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Brien Poffenberger said Washington County is one of those counties. “I really think that we are the next generation of prosperity in Maryland,” he said. Poffenberger's comments came during his State of the Chamber speech at the Chamber's 93rd annual meeting before a large crowd at Fountain Head Country Club.

On Monday, his first day as executive director of the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, Mark Halsey said he sees the potential for more “blended learning” at the local campus. Blended, or hybrid, learning is a mix of traditional classroom interaction and electronic communication, he said. Students work more on their own on course material, then use classroom time to talk and build upon lessons, rather than always hearing a lecture. Halsey comes to USMH from Virginia Tech University, where he was the director of finance and administration for distance learning.

The budgetary process for the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association needs to be more transparent and accountable, the new president of the group said Thursday night in a meeting with a citizens group. Dale Hill declined to say if anything would be changed in the financial process, in part, because he has not yet met with the organization's budget committee. However, Hill admitted that he is unsure if the association's current budget is as explicit as it should be, although he stressed that there is not a problem with any missing money.

A couple of weeks ago, I suggested to you that I would ask local leaders to submit a response of up to 500 words outlining that leader's view on the concept of leadership. Over the next few months, maybe one a month, I'll fulfill my promise to you and our local leaders. I have chosen our elected board of Washington County Commissioners as the first group to comment on leadership. Later, I will ask the mayors of our municipalities for their input. If the first few go well — which means getting some feedback from you, the readers — I might even ask some private sector leaders to comment.

A woman who recently retired with more than 35 years of experience with the West Virginia government has been hired as executive director of The Morgan County Partnership. Kristin Willard took the helm Jan. 1 after Susan Caperton resigned due to illness. Willard said she will continue to "engage, educate and empower the youth to make better decisions" relating to alcohol, drug abuse and tobacco. "This is still our mission," Willard said. Willard was the director of finance and data for the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind for more than 15 years.

Hello readers, my last two columns have been about the desired character traits of those new leaders who are taking over important positions within our community. To date, I’ve touched on “moving the community forward” and “doing your duty.” Both are very positive traits. Before I leave the topic of leadership, let me dwell for a moment on one trait that could be deemed “negative.” Sometimes, you just have to tell folks, and that includes the public as a whole, things they don’t want to hear.

Chad Bricker won three WACO Championships, the most recent was one year ago before he turned professional. His influence was still on display Saturday, thanks to one of his Penn State University colleagues in the opening round of the 27th edition of the tournament at Beaver Creek Country Club. Jim Markovitz, a 22-year-old from Pittsburgh, fired a 4-under-par 68 to take the first round on a day in which five players shot subpar rounds. Alex Hoffman, from Middletown, Md. who will be a freshman at the University of Memphis beginning Aug. 24 and Chris Baloga, of Towson, Md., were one shot behind at 69. Chuck Thatcher, of Boonsboro, was 2-under with a 70, followed by Bill Calhoun at 1-under 71. "I talked to (Bricker)

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- The Waynesboro Area School Board underwent a change in leadership this week, as board members Ed Wilson and Leland Lemley were named president and vice president, respectively. North End voters elected Wilson in 2007. On Tuesday, Wilson's fellow board members picked him as president on a 8-0 vote, with board member Pat Heefner in abstention. For 18 years, Lemley has represented the North End, which includes Quincy Township, Mont Alto and part of Guilford Township.

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. -- Rebecca Harriett took a roundabout route through the National Park Service on her way to Harpers Ferry. The newly appointed superintendent of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park succeeded Don Campbell, who held the job for 29 years until he retired in July. Harriett began her journey 30 years ago while working on a degree in parks and recreation management at North Carolina State University. The course required an internship, which she landed at Cape Lookout National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

BOONSBORO -- It was an inaugural celebration, country style. A group of Democrats in the Boonsboro area decided to come together Tuesday to celebrate the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. And they did it in a barn, complete with its own big-screen television and plenty of food. Red, white and blue bunting was draped along wooden beams inside and a picture of Obama hung over a gas fireplace that helped heat the huge structure. The farm at 9349 Stottlemeyer Road is owned by Chris and Pete Madeo.