Water

“Time is a good storyteller” is the Irish translation of this column's headline. As Saint Patrick's Day arrives, I am always apt to review a few ancient Irish proverbs. When I look back on my life, I find that there have been many interesting encounters with special people and a multitude of fond stories along the way from far away places. I've also discovered somewhere in my distant past that there is nothing like a good story where editing takes a back seat to reality. My Saint Patrick's Day will be spent reflecting on some of my Irish ancestors; my favorite movie of “Darby O'Gill and the Little People;” and a glass of stout to toast all the Irish kin wherever they might be. If you happen to have a little Irish tint of green in your blood, you know that our Irish neighbors always occupy a special place in one's heart.

As a kid, I lived with my Grandpa Reno (“O” for short) and Grandmother Gen.  We lived in an old two-story house with a tin roof surrounded by mahogany trees. We raised chickens and always had a garden. My grandpa worked at the old Victor Products plant in Hagers-town and never owned a car. He would walk to the outskirts of Dargan and catch a ride to work with Skunk Knight. All this talk about “sequestration” would be mind-boggling to my granddad. I never heard him talk about hundreds or thousands of anything, let alone millions and billions and trillions.

Officials from Washington County and the town of Boonsboro on Tuesday night starting looking at ways of how they can work together to resolve an old problem of water runoff in the Lakin Avenue area. The Washington County Board of Commissioners met with Boonsboro Town Council members and Mayor Charles F. “Skip” Kauffman Jr. at the Eugene C. Smith Community Center to talk about Lakin Avenue runoff and other issues in Boonsboro. County Administrator Greg Murray discussed the installation of walls to divert water in the Lakin Avenue area into existing drainage lines.

The National Prayer Breakfast is held each year on the first Thursday of February in Washington, D.C. This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Benjamin Carson. Not familiar with Ben Carson? Let me tell you a little about him. Carson grew up in Detroit, in a very poor section of town. You don't have to explain poverty to Carson; he lived it. He could have traveled down the road of illiteracy, drugs, prison and government programs, but he decided to take a different path. His mother insisted on a good education for her son. While Carson could have been tempted to embrace the negatives of his surroundings, his mother required him to read books.

A Falling Waters, W.Va., man pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in August 2012 and then kidnapped another woman in a violent string of events that ended when he was shot by police. Raymond Sidney Wallace II, 23, was arraigned by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher C. Wilkes on four sexual assault-related offenses, and single counts of kidnapping, attempted arson and assault on a government representative. Wilkes set bonds totaling $900,000 for the pending felony charges, which are contained in a grand jury indictment that was decided last week in Berkeley County Circuit Court.

The trial for two men charged in the May 2011 death of the mother of one of the men was postponed again Thursday to allow more time for evidence to be reviewed in the case. The trial for Joshua L. Stitley, 34, of Hancock, and Roy L. Wisotzkey, 35, of Hagerstown, was rescheduled for July 30 by presiding 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher C. Wilkes.   Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely told Wilkes on Thursday that she did not object to the defense motion.

Have you ever worked for a company that one day suddenly went bankrupt? I have written several columns about cities and companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection, but not until recently had I worked for a company that filed for bankruptcy. It is an interesting experience. TW & Company was a government contractor that provided security services for 22 contracts in the country and had a workforce of 617 employees. One of the most significant assignments of this contractor was the responsibility to dispose of the White House's records.

I always enjoy reading fellow columnist Allan Powell. His columns are always thought-provoking and well-written. His recent column titled “The decline and fall of the Republican Party” was particularly interesting. In his column, he writes that the Republican Party for the most part is in serious decline. He suggests that Republicans have brought us to the brink of financial chaos and are no longer deserving of a leadership role. He also shared a list of Republican presidents ranked inadequate by historians.

1. September memories Keedysville Historical Society lecture features Dennis E. Frye, chief historian at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, North Main Street, Keedysville. Frye will discuss his book, "September Suspense: Lincoln's Union in Peril. " Copies of the book will be available for purchase. 7 p.m. Call 301-432-8216 or email suebeedoo@verizon.net. 2. Water, water everywhere More than 100 waters from all over the world will be judged during the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Friday, Feb. 22, and Saturday, Feb. 23, at Berkeley Springs Inn Best Western Conference Center, 1776 Valley Road, Berkeley Springs, W.Va.

A Falling Waters, W.Va., man accused of shooting a couple twice in the head at their home in November 2009 entered an Alford plea Friday to two counts of second-degree attempted murder and two counts of malicious assault. Donald Mark “Donnie” Seibert Jr., 24, faces a sentence of six to 26 years in prison, according to the terms of a plea agreement reached between Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Timothy D. Helman and Seibert's attorney, Matthew Harvey. Two counts of malicious assault, along with single counts of grand larceny and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in other pending cases were dismissed Friday by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge John C. Yoder, who accepted the plea agreement and scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 11. Seibert could be ordered to serve a one- to three-year sentence for each attempted murder conviction and a two- to 10-year sentence for each malicious assault conviction, Helman said.