Town Clerk

SHARPSBURG -- A veteran schoolteacher known for her passion for history and a no-nonsense classroom, Marjorie Ann Jamison also was dedicated to serving the Town of Sharpsburg as a councilwoman since 2001. Jamison, 63, died Thursday. She had been ailing since the first of the year, Sharpsburg Mayor Hal Spielman said. "I'm glad to have worked with her," Spielman said. With her passing, the Sharpsburg Town Council is down two members, Spielman said. Councilman Russell Weaver resigned in December.

Veterans might get free acupuncture WILLIAMSPORT - A local acupuncturist talked with Williamsport Town Council members Monday night about offering free acupuncture treatments to veterans returning from combat areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Tom Merrill said the treatments are intended to help veterans deal with violence they encountered instead of having to endure lasting effects. Merrill and the council talked about offering the treatments at American Legion Post 202 in Williamsport.

SMITHSBURG -- The August reappointment of Smithsburg Mayor Mildred "Mickey" Myers' husband to the town board of zoning appeals came up again at Tuesday's town council meeting. At the Aug. 6 meeting, councilmembers Tom Chiarizia and Shirley Aurand voted in favor of Homer Myers' reappointment while Donnie Souders Jr. and Dennis "Jack" Wenthe voted against it. The mayor cast the tiebreaking vote in favor of her husband's reappointment. Councilman Jerome Martin, who previously had spoken out against the reappointment, was not at the August meeting because of an injury.

SMITHSBURG - The possibility of curbside recycling in Smithsburg took another step forward Tuesday night when Councilman Jerome Martin asked that three vendors be approached to provide the town with plans and prices for a range of services. Martin said specifications and cost estimates should be sought for three levels of service - 250 households, 500 households and the entire town. Betsy Martin, town clerk/treasurer/manager, read a letter at the meeting from Washington County to all municipalities, outlining the possibility of coattailing to save money.

SMITHSBURG - The town of Smithsburg's audit report was approved Tuesday night, though Mayor Mildred "Mickey" Myers warned that some belt-tightening might be needed in the near future. "But the report showed the town is solvent and in good financial shape," Myers said. Still, the report did highlight shortfalls in the town's water and sewer revenues, prompting possible rate increases as soon as next year, according to Betsy Martin, town clerk/treasurer/manager. - Marlo Barnhart

WILLIAMSPORT -- Vandals wreaked havoc on a "silent city of the dead" Sunday, knocking over several dozen large tombstones at Riverview Cemetery in Williamsport. On Monday, a citizen out for a morning walk reported the damage to town employees, said Donnie Stotelmyer, town clerk. For years, Wilma Moats' father took care of the graveyard for the town of Williamsport. On Monday afternoon, Moats sat on her father's front porch on Vermont Street, across from the cemetery, shaking her head as she discussed the damage.

Longtime employees honored by council The Smithsburg Mayor and Council honored longtime town employees Randy Dick, Betsy Martin and William Loughridge on Tuesday for their years of service to the town. Dick, the town's planning and zoning administrator, was presented with a 30-year service award. Martin, the town's clerk/treasurer, was presented with a 21-year service award. Loughridge, the town's director of public works, was presented with a 10-year service award. All three jobs have changed drastically during the employees' tenure as the town has grown, Smithsburg Mayor Mildred "Mickey" Myers said.

Town searches for water project loans BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - The $4.5 million needed for water department upgrades for the Berkeley Springs Water Works, which is owned by the Town of Bath, was the main topic at Tuesday night's council meeting. The Infrastructure and Job Development Council (IJDC) and the Drinking Water Treatment and Research Fund (DWTRF) in Charleston, W.Va., were two possible loan sources with whom Mayor Susan J. Webster and Margie McCumbee Allgyer, the town clerk, met last week.

Five file for Funkstown council seats FUNKSTOWN - Three new candidates and two incumbents have filed for three Funkstown town council seats up for election on May 5, according to town clerk Brenda Haynes. The new candidates are Nathen Graybill, Barry Warrenfeltz and former councilman Kim Ramer. Incumbents Sharon Chirgott and John Phillips III are seeking re-election. The top three vote-getters will win the seats, Haynes said. At the Feb. 11 town meeting, Richard D. Rodgers Jr., a two-term Funkstown councilman, announced he would not seek re-election.

Bicycles, electronics and metal products will be accepted for recycling April 26 at Smithsburg's annual Spring Cleanup drop-off, town officials said. Bulk trash also will be collected. The event is open only to Smithsburg residents, who must show ID as proof of residency, town clerk/treasurer Betsy Martin said. The drop-off site will be behind Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services on Maple Avenue, Martin said. Items will be accepted from 7 a.m. until the bins are full, or noon at the latest, Martin said.