Supervisor

By LISA GRAYBEAL Staff Writer, Waynesboro WAYNESBORO, Pa. - The race for a six-year term supervisor's position is the only contested seat in this year's primary election in Washington Township. Incumbent Paul Benchoff, 71, a Republican, is running for his third term as supervisor. He is being challenged by former supervisor, Shirley Grove, 62, also a Republican. Benchoff said he is seeking re-election so that he can complete some of the projects the current board has started.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- David A. "Dave" McCarney is seeking a seat on the Washington Township Board of Supervisors. He is running for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's May 19 primary election. Also running for the GOP nomination is Jeff Geesaman. McCarney, 59, an engineer and lifelong resident of the area, is a co-owner of Control Consultants, a local business that provides custom software and a broad range of control and networking solutions. McCarney, a Republican, said he would make decisions "based on facts, common sense and fairness," according to a news release.

A former manager/supervisor at Citicorp who "used his position for personal gain" was given a one-year suspended sentence Tuesday in Washington County District Court. Frank H. Campbell Jr., 46, of 6710 Grainary Court, Frederick, Md., pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud/altering data. In exchange for that plea, charges of felony theft and computer/illegal access were dropped. Washington County Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Hardy told Judge Ralph H. France II that Campbell had worked for Citicorp for 23 years.

Housekeeping supervisor feels kinship with mall employees HALFWAY - Come rain, come snow, come sickness, Buddy is always there. As daytime supervisor of the Valley Mall's cleaning crew, Buddy Shenk works six days a week. If someone calls in sick, Shenk comes in then, too. He's even putting off surgery to remove a callus on his foot until he retires in 2002 because it would mean he'd be off his feet and away from work for at least eight weeks. Shenk, 60, of Guilford Avenue in Hagerstown, has worked at the mall for 26 years, starting as a stock boy for McCrory's in 1974.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - A Washington Township (Pa.) supervisor will complete his term, but he is not allowed to run for his seat again under a decision by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The office sent Chris Firme a letter saying it decided he didn't knowingly violate the Hatch Act, but said he should not seek re-election. The act prohibits municipal, state and federal employees from being candidates for public office. Firme on Thursday contended that he never had received training about the law, and had approached his supervisor in the Maryland Department of Agriculture about his candidacy in 2003.

About 12 to 15 people were reported injured at the Tough Mudder competition Saturday, a Berkeley County 911 supervisor said Sunday night. The supervisor said two people were feared drowned, but they were resuscitated. The supervisor said she did not believe there were as many injuries at the event on Sunday. The course ran over about 500 acres of the 2,300 acres at the Peacemaker National Training Center that Tough Mudder officials rented for the event. Each of the 22 obstacles had its own identity and names such as Mud Mile No. 1, Trench Warfare, Berlin Walls, Funky Monkey and, at the finish line, Electroshock Therapy.

Edward Masood, a Washington County Public Schools department head, was able to avoid jail Tuesday after a bench warrant was issued for him when he failed to appear in court that morning on a misdemeanor charge of malicious destruction of property, court officials said Wednesday. "He came in later Tuesday," Washington County District Judge Ralph France said. The judge lowered the original bond from $1,500 to $500 and Masood posted that amount. A new trial date was set for June 28 at 8:30 a.m. Earlier Tuesday, France issued the bench warrant for Masood, the school system's supervisor for athletics, fine arts, health and physical education, when he failed to show up for an 8:30 a.m. hearing.

A bench warrant was issued Tuesday morning for the arrest of Edward Masood, a Washington County Public Schools department head, after he failed to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of malicious destruction of property. Masood was charged with smashing the headlights of another man's car in February. Washington County District Judge Ralph France issued the bench warrant for Masood, the school system's supervisor for athletics, fine arts, health and physical education.

tarar@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - Maryland State Police will add more road troopers and another supervisor to the Hagerstown barrack this spring in response to community concerns over the declining number of troopers in recent years, Western Region Commander Major Vernon Herron said Friday. Herron said three new road troopers and a supervisor will start working at the Hagerstown barrack the first week of March. The employees will be seasoned officers who live in or near the county and have requested transfers to the Hagerstown barrack, he said.

A woman who became lost Thursday afternoon on a trail off Crystal Falls Drive ended up at a park ranger's house Thursday night along Wolfsville Road near the Frederick County line, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor. The woman was hiking on a trail off the Appalachian Trail and lost her bearings, the supervisor said. The ordeal started at 5:41 p.m. and the woman showed up at the ranger's house at about 8:45 p.m., the supervisor said. The woman appeared to be OK, the supervisor said.

Ted Bittinger edged out the competition in the Guilford Township Supervisors' race in the Republican primary on Tuesday. Bittinger, 59, of Stanley Avenue Extended, Chambersburg, was the top vote-getter, garnering 908 of the 1,884 votes cast. Mark A. Bumbaugh got the second highest number of votes at 515. Donald C. Clapper got 301 votes and Chris A. Bender secured 160 votes. Bittinger will move onto the general election in November and face the top write-in candidate on the Democratic ballot since no Democratic candidates were on the ballot.

Longtime Peters Township (Pa.) Supervisor John Brake is positioned for a municipal election race this fall to retain his seat. With all four precincts in Peters Township reporting, Brake led the field of three candidates with 170 votes. Brake, of 7117 Renninger Road, held the lead against Roger Blattenberger and Mark D. Mellott. They received 99 votes and 76 votes, respectively. If he is the top vote-getter in the Republican primary, Brake will advance to the Nov. 5 municipal election.

The school system's got milk - from low-fat to fat and lactose free - in a variety of flavors. Chocolate is the favorite milk flavor of students in Washington County Public Schools, followed by vanilla, according to the school system's Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor Jeff Proulx. Washington County Board of Education members, who were about to vote on a contract for a milk supplier, asked Proulx about the vanilla flavoring and the sugar in flavored milk during a May 7 school board meeting.

Four candidates are vying for one open seat in the Guilford Township Supervisors race. Republicans Chris A. Bender, Ted Bittinger, Mark A. Bumbaugh and Donald C. Clapper are running in the May 21 election to secure the open, six-year term. There are no candidates running on the Democratic ballot, so all candidates are courting Democratic write-in votes in the primary election. Chris A. Bender Age : 51 Address : 311 Pine Drive Extended, Fayetteville, Pa. Occupation : Guilford Township auditor, grounds crew/facility maintenance for Chambersburg Area School District Question : Why are you running for the open seat on the board of supervisors?

The Antrim Township Board of Supervisors made it clear it is not in favor of a variance that would allow a personal-care facility to be located in an agricultural residential zone. At Tuesday's meeting, Sylvia House, township zoning officer, asked the board of supervisors for direction on how to represent the township during the zoning appeal. Lana Gordon with Caring Hands Personal Care Homes and Nursing Services LLC wants to put a personal-care home at 7465 Angle Road in Chambersburg, Pa. In March, Gordon told the supervisors that she wants to operate the facility at the vacant estate of Donald R. Wishard.

Two Republican candidates will appear on the May primary ballot for Peters Township supervisor. Roger Blattenberger, 68, is vying to unseat incumbent John Brake, 81, who has served in the role for more than 30 years. There are no candidates running on the Democratic ballot in the May 21 primary, so both candidates are hoping to secure Democratic write-in votes in the primary election. Both candidates are Republican and retired, but that's where the similarities end. Brake wants to maintain the status quo in the running of the township, while Blattenberger isn't satisfied with the way the current board of supervisors has been running it. Brake, of 7117 Renninger Road, said he's proud of the job he's done for township residents and wants to continue to serve.

Traffic was snarled in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81 near the Marlowe-Falling Waters exit Tuesday morning while workers repaired a jersey wall that was struck by a tractor-trailer at about 4:30 a.m., a Berkeley County Emergency Services supervisor said. The supervisor said about 350 feet of the wall was damaged. Southbound I-81 was closed for about two hours until the tractor-trailer was towed from the scene. One southbound lane remained closed while the wall was being repaired.

Eastbound Interstate 70 at Exit 3 to Md. 144 (Main Street) in Hancock was closed for about six hours Tuesday morning due to an accident involving a tractor-trailer, a supervisor for Washington County Emergency Services said. Police responded to the accident shortly after 6:45 a.m. Tuesday. The eastbound lanes reopened at about 12:40 p.m., the supervisor said. No one was injured in the accident, according to the supervisor.  

About 12 to 15 people were reported injured at the Tough Mudder competition Saturday, a Berkeley County 911 supervisor said Sunday night. The supervisor said two people were feared drowned, but they were resuscitated. The supervisor said she did not believe there were as many injuries at the event on Sunday. The course ran over about 500 acres of the 2,300 acres at the Peacemaker National Training Center that Tough Mudder officials rented for the event. Each of the 22 obstacles had its own identity and names such as Mud Mile No. 1, Trench Warfare, Berlin Walls, Funky Monkey and, at the finish line, Electroshock Therapy.

Smithsburg Emergency Medical Service provided lunch to the staff at the Washington County 911 Center as a token of appreciation for National Public Safety Telecommunications Week on Wednesday, but workers had no time to relax. Dispatchers grabbed food, went back to their desks and continued working as they ate. Washington County Emergency Communications Center Assistant Supervisor Tina Bowers described a lunch in the call center room as “one of the best things” the staff could get. “There are a lot of times during the day we get busy, and people don't even have time to step out and go to the bathroom, much less eat,” Bowers said.