Grant to Provide Momentum for Shepherdstown’s New Library Plans

The Shepherdstown Public Library has received a $5,000 grant through the 2010 FOCUS WV Brownfields program.   The grant will fund discussions with the Shepherdstown community about reclaiming the former Shepherdstown Municipal Dump for use as a new library.  The dump, which was used from 1954 to 1969, is located behind Elmwood Cemetery.

Dubbed the “Landfill to Library Project,” the plans for a new green, state-of-the-art library envision more space for all library functions, parking for patrons, and close proximity to Shepherdstown Elementary and Middle Schools.

According to Hali Taylor, Shepherdstown Public Library Director, “The grant will help us to bring the community into the planning process at the early stages.  It will provide information on brownfields reclamation and provide the opportunity for community input.”  Specifically, the grant provides funds for a one-day conference on brownfields and discussion of the specifics of the Shepherdstown reclamation effort.

The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers awarded the Foundation for Overcoming Challenges and Utilizing Strengths (FOCUS) West Virginia Brownfields grant to the Shepherdstown Public Library. The program provides financial and technical assistance enabling communities in West Virginia to create a redevelopment vision for brownfield properties of strategic community interest.

The program was funded through a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation through the WVU Foundation, a private non-profit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for West Virginia University.

Shepherdstown’s Landfill to Library Project was one of only 11 projects awarded statewide to receive a 2010 FOCUS WV Brownfields grant. Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties that have not been redeveloped due to real or perceived environmental barriers.

Sera Zegre, FOCUS WV Program Manager says, “Shepherdstown’s Landfill to Library Project provides a stepping stone for revitalization efforts at a dormant dump, facilitating repurposing progress and community involvement.”

Information about the FOCUS WV Brownfields Program can be found at www.brownfields.com.  The Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center is located at the West Virginia Water Research Institute, at WVU’s National Research Center for Coal & Energy; the WV Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University is located in the Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences.

County Administrator Selected for Jefferson County

The Jefferson County Commission has selected a new county administrator.  Tim Boyde has worked in many aspects of  county government, most recently as county administrator for Centre County, Pennsylvania.   Boyde has a 23 year record of working at the county level of government and brings extensive knowledge of budget preparation,  personnel management and policy development.

According to Commission President Lyn Widmyer, “All the county commissioners and our acting County Administrator participated in the interview process.  Mr. Boyde was our unanimous choice.  He has a strong background in county government and believes in a collaborative approach to solving problems.”

Happy Retreat Named West Virginia Endangered Property

The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia announced Charles Washington’s Happy Retreat, the 1780 home of the founder of Charles Town and youngest brother of George Washington, as one of the state’s eight Endangered Properties. Happy Retreat is one of eight Washington Family homes that were built in surrounding Jefferson County.

On hand for the announcement were Nelson Parkinson and Walter Washington, president and vice president, respectively, of the Friends of Happy Retreat, the nonprofit group of citizens whose fundraising work has kept the property under option and off the market for sale and/or development.

“On behalf of the Friends,” said Parkinson, “I want to thank the Alliance for this recognition. It comes at a time when, after four years of fundraising efforts, the additional exposure gives us a much-needed boost. We are eager to bring the history of this home, the founding of Charles Town, and the unique Washington Family heritage in Charles Town and surrounding Jefferson County to a wider audience, including heritage tourists.

“The home of the founder of Charles Town is a valuable state asset that should not only be preserved but also recognized for the potential it offers the state, region, and city as a historical and cultural attraction,” he added. “We see our neighbors in Maryland and Virginia–Loudoun County in particular–reaping the benefits of their heritage. There’s no reason our heritage-rich region can’t be participating in this mushrooming sector of the travel industry.”

Parkinson noted the propitious timing of the Preservation Alliance recognition. “There are a number of significant dates on the near horizon that give the Friends an opportunity to build community enthusiasm and funding support:  2011 and the 225th anniversary of the founding of Charles Town; 2012 and the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam and nearby, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown, and the first battle of Winchester; 2013 and the 275th anniversary of Charles Washington’s birth, the founding of West Virginia, and the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Charles Town.”

Charles Washington’s Happy Retreat was selected for recognition by the Preservation Alliance after making formal application to the Endangered Properties program. Also on the 2010 list are Hawks Nest State Park Museum, the Quarrier Diner in Charleston, Riverside African American School in Elkins, Berkeley Springs B&O Depot, Greenbrier County Public Library in Lewisburg, Little Kanawha Valley Bank in Glenville, Church of God and Saints of Christ Tabernacle in Wheeling.

Washington Family in Jefferson County

In the fifth of the series on Monday March 8, local Washington family descendants Walter Washington and Betsy Wells will discuss the pre-eminent role the family played in the early days of the republic in what is now known as Jefferson County, WV, the Washington Homeland.  The presentation is free and open to the public and will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the War Memorial Building, 102 E. German Street, Shepherdstown, WV. It will be preceded at 6 pm by a social hour at the same location for members of the Society and the Men’s Club. Persons interested in joining either of these organizations are welcome to arrive early and complete membership forms.

Walter Washington is a direct descendent of Samuel Washington (1734-1781), brother of President George Washington and Charles Washington. He earned a law degree from American University and is a practicing attorney in Charles Town. He is a member of the Boards of the Jefferson County Historical Society (JCHS) and Virginia University Hospitals and is Secretary of West Virginia University Hospitals East. Walter is the owner of Harewood, Samuel Washington’s home built in 1770 near Charles Town and the only home now owned by a Washington family member.

Register Now For April 24 Audubon Run/Walk Event

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is now accepting registrations for its ninth annual “This Race is for the Birds!” run/walk event, which will be held on Saturday, April 24 on the campus of the National Conservation Training Center near Shepherdstown.

The Society is expanding the event significantly this year. In past years, it was mainly focused on a simple 5K run. This year, it will feature two professionally timed races—one 4.9 miles long and another 7.7 miles long.

In the past, between 75 and 125 runners have turned out for the 5K race. With the new expanded format, the organization is expecting 250 to 300 runners to compete this year.

There will also be a self-timed 2-mile community jog/walk for families and those who prefer a slower pace, and a 1-mile “Fun Run” for children under 10 years of age.

The 4.9- and 7.7-mile races will follow trails that wind through the forests and fields of the 538-acre NCTC campus.

The 2-mile jog/walk will follow a course that will be very user-friendly for families with small children, and strollers will be appropriate and encouraged.

The two races will begin at 9:00 a.m. The jog/walk will begin shortly afterwards and the children’s Fun Run will be held at about 10:00 a.m.

The children’s Fun Run will be free. Fees for the other portions of the event will range from $15 to $25.

All proceeds will be used to support Potomac Valley Audubon’s programs for children, and all fees will be tax deductible.

To register or get more information, go to the race website at www.raceforthebirds.org or call 304-876-6784.

The idea to expand this annual PVAS event came from Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, a Harpers Ferry physician and PVAS member who founded and co-directed the very successful “Freedom’s Run” marathon that was launched in the Eastern Panhandle last fall.

Many organizations are sponsoring 5K and 10K races now, and offering somewhat longer distances will allow those who have been participating in those events to push themselves a little and try something different.

Another main goal is to create a family-friendly outdoor experience. This is a major priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates the National Conservation Training Center. “This event is a natural fit for us,” says NCTC Director Jay Slack. “It’s a way to get people outside, away from TV and video games. People who connect with the outdoors are more apt to participate in conservation efforts.”

The co-directors of this year’s PVAS event are James and Suzy Munnis, of Shepherdstown. Both are avid runners and bikers with years of experience and expertise in organizing events of this kind.

Dr. Cucuzzella has also been helping to plan the event, as have Tom Shantz, of Falling Waters, who was also very involved with the Freedom’s Run marathon, and PVAS Board member Carolyn Thomas, of Scrabble.

“We’re so fortunate to have such great partners,” said PVAS Executive Director Kristin Alexander. “With NCTC hosting the event, Jim and Suzy directing it, and so many other veteran runners and Freedom’s Run people involved, we couldn’t ask for a better team to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever before.”

Both NCTC and PVAS are taking steps to reduce the race’s environmental impact. This year’s race t-shirts will contain a blend of organic cotton and a fabric made from recycled soda bottles. PVAS is partnering with Karen Valentine of Go Green Gals to help with recycling, composting and overall waste reduction efforts.

Audubon Egg Hunt Set For March 28

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will hold its third annual Spring Children’s Egg Hunt the afternoon of Sunday, March 28 at its Yankauer Nature Preserve north of Shepherdstown.

Unlike traditional egg hunts, this one combines fun with an educational experience.

The eggs used in the hunt are colored to resemble real eggs of wild birds. Children are challenged to find the naturally camouflaged eggs on the trail and in the process they discover how birds keep their eggs safe from predators.  Other activities this year will include a “penguin egg walk” and an “ostrich egg balance challenge.”

This year’s event will be for children ages 3-6. Eggs for them to collect will be hidden along two separate trails at the preserve.

At the end of the event, collected eggs will be “traded in” for a sweet treat:  decorating an egg shaped cookie to enjoy on the spot or take home and enjoy later along with lemonade.

This will be a family-oriented event and parents should plan to go with their children as they walk on the trail.

The hunt will be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Space will be limited and pre-registration with a credit card is required. The fee is $5 per child.

Registration is available at www.potomacaudubon.org using the “Spring Egg Hunt” link.

For more information, contact Ellen Murphy, PVAS’s Youth Education Director, at 304-676-8739 or pvasprograms@comcast.net.

The Yankauer Nature Preserve is located on Whiting’s Neck Road off Scrabble road, about six miles north of Shepherdstown. Directions are on the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org.

Local Audubon Camp Now Taking Registrations

The Audubon Discovery Camp, a nature-oriented summer day camp for children in the Eastern Panhandle and nearby Maryland, is now registering campers for its 2010 season.

The camp, which is entering its eighth year, is sponsored by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society (PVAS).

Registration was opened to PVAS members on February 1. The general public may register their children starting February 15.

Those who wish to register are encouraged to do so early—last year’s camp was fully booked by the end of March.

This year’s camp will span nine weeks between May 26 and July 23.

The first two weeks will be devoted to sessions for preschool-age children and an accompanying adult. The third week will be devoted to a session for children entering Kindergarten. The remaining six weeks will include a variety of sessions for children entering grades 1-6 and another set of sessions for children entering grades 5-7.

This year’s camp will also include a special Junior Counselor-In-Training program for teens age 13 and older with leadership skills, to be held the week of June 28-July 2. Those who successfully complete this program will be able to participate in one additional week of camp at no charge by assisting as Junior Counselors.

Most of the camp sessions will be held at the Society’s Yankauer Nature Preserve on Whiting’s Neck, in the northeast corner of Berkeley County.

This year, for the first time PVAS will also be offering two weeks of camp sessions at CraftWorks at Cool Spring Farm, on Lloyd Road in southern Jefferson County. These sessions will be held the weeks of June 21-25 and June 28-July 2.

All of the camp’s sessions are aimed at helping children gain a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world. All of them offer hands-on experiential learning led and supervised by experienced instructors.

Session sizes are kept very small to ensure an excellent instructor/child ratio of 1:10.

The camp director is Ellen Murphy, PVAS’s Director of Youth Education, who has many years of experience in developing, directing, and delivering educational programs for children.

The preschool camp sessions will be led by Suzi Taylor, a former PVAS camp director who also has extensive environmental education experience.

The fee for most camp sessions will be $125 per week. The fee for the preschool sessions will be $50 per week.

Full details about the camp’s sessions can be found on the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org, and easy online registration is also available there.  A valid credit card is required for registration.  For more information or questions about camp sessions, call 304-676-8739.

10th Annual Potter’s Bowl & Auction

Please join Good Shepherd Caregivers for our 10th annual Potter’s Bowl and Auction, Friday, March 5, from 6 – 8 p.m., at the Shepherdstown Fire Hall.

Select a bowl, handcrafted by an area potter and yours to keep.  Fill it with hearty soups donated by local restaurants.  Delicious breads will complement your dinner, and dessert and coffee will be served.

Enjoy wine and cheese while you peruse the many fine items in our silent and live auctions.  You’ll have a chance to bid on some beautiful works of art and craft, including a Lee Teter print, stained glass pieces, pottery, wrought ironwork, basketry, fine woodwork, and more.

All proceeds will further Good Shepherd’s mission of providing free, nonmedical caregiving services to older or disabled Jefferson County residents.

Tickets are $25 (a child’s serving size will be available for $5) and are available at our offices in Shepherdstown and Charles Town.  Tickets will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.  For tickets or information, please call (304) 876-3325 or (304) 725-2262.

Maggie’s Card Party For Good Shepherd Caregivers

Maggie Drennen will host a bridge, Bunco and mahjong party to benefit Good Shepherd Caregivers on Wednesday, March 17, at Cress Creek Country Club, located on Shepherd Grade Road in Shepherdstown.

The party will begin with coffee and pastries at 10:30 a.m.  Lunch will be served at noon.  Play will continue in the afternoon.  Prizes will be awarded in each game.

Bridge and mahjong tables will be set up in the dining room.  Bunco tables will be in the conference room.  If you have not played Bunco before, come and learn – it’s fun and easy!

Tickets are $25.00 ($12.50 of that is tax-deductible) and can be paid for at the door.  However, advance reservations are required.  For reservations, please call Maggie Drennen at (304) 876-0897 for bridge, Judy Ringer at (304) 876-6740 for mahjong, or Betty Severson at (304) 876-1444 for Bunco.  This is a great way to have fun while supporting Good Shepherd Caregivers’ program of free, nonmedical caregiving services for older or disabled residents of Jefferson County.

Good Shepherd Caregivers Announces Volunteer Training

Good Shepherd Caregivers will hold a volunteer training workshop on Tuesday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Zion Episcopal Church Parish House, 221 E. Washington St., Charles Town.

Volunteers with Good Shepherd Caregivers provide non-medical, neighborly assistance to elderly and/or disabled residents of Jefferson County.  Services include transportation to medical appointments, helping with errands, light yard or house work, simple chores, visiting, and reassurance calls.  Volunteers also help at our office.

To register or to learn more, please contact Nancy Marmorella at (304) 725-2262, or nmarmorella@gsivc.org.

Sign Up Now For Beginner Birding Course

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is accepting applications for its 2010 “Birding 101” course for beginning birders, which will be held in April.

This will be the 23nd year the Society has offered this course, and it continues to be very popular.

Space will be limited so those who are interested are encouraged to sign up soon.

The course will be taught by leading local bird experts, including Wil Hershberger and Matt Orsie.

It will utilize both evening classroom sessions and daytime field trips to teach everything from bird identification to birding techniques and resources to field etiquette.

It will focus on bird species that are found in the Eastern Panhandle area.

The evening classroom sessions will start on Thursday, April 1 and be held each of the following three Thursdays (April 8, 15, and 22). All of these sessions will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center just north of Shepherdstown.

The field trips will be held at various locations around the Panhandle from roughly 7:00 a.m. to 12 noon on the Saturdays following the Thursday evening classroom sessions (April 3, 10, and 17 and 24).

Tuition for the full course package of four classroom sessions and four field trips is $50.

Registration is required. Registration forms and more information are available on the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org or by contacting Kristin Alexander at pvasmail.aol.com or 304-676-3397.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a United Way of the Eastern Panhandle partner agency and a member of the Combined Federal Campaign.

Park Service Study Affirms Location & Size Of Shepherdstown Civil War Battlefield

In an update of the 1993 Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) has provided information that sites the location of the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown and provides more information about the actual size of the core of the battlefield. The report concludes that the core of the battlefield, as defined, is 1,534.4 acres; 1,034.64 acres in West Virginia (WV) and 499.76 acres in Maryland (MD). More importantly, the study concludes that the potential National Register boundary amounts to 4,259.32 acres; 2,502.71 acres in WV and 1,756.61 acres in MD. The report notes that four WV battlefields, including the Shepherdstown site, “have the largest percentages of Study Area land to land potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places land. The ABPP (American Battlefield Protection Program of the National Park Service) believes that all of these battlefields should be viewed as higher priorities for preservation.”

Edward Dunleavy, speaking as President of the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association Inc. (SBPA) stated that: “this report should finally put to rest the insistence by some that the battle took place only on the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River. Not only was the fighting over a large area of northern Jefferson County, the importance of the battle is not to be underestimated. General Robert E. Lee intended to continue the Maryland Campaign and, on September 19, 1862, after retreating from MD, issued orders to the Army of Northern Virginia to cross the Potomac back into MD at Williamsport. An important reason that Lee changed those orders and retreated south was the Battle of Shepherdstown which convinced Lee that the Union Army of the Potomac was pursuing his troops aggressively. Two days later President Abraham Lincoln was able to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.”

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002 directed “the Secretary of Interior acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) of the National Park Service, to update the … (CWSAC) Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields.” Funding for the update was provided by Congress in Fiscal Year 2005 and 2007.Early this month the report for WV was released and provided information about each battlefield relative to the size of: 1) the study area; 2) the core area; and 3) the potential National Register boundary area.

“The Study Area represents the historic extent of the battle as it unfolded across the landscape.” It contains the area in which the troops were maneuvered and deployed immediately before, during and after combat. In the case of the Battle of Shepherdstown, the study area totals 4,549.21 acres; 2,792.6 in WV and 1,756.61 in MD. “Historic accounts, terrain analysis and feature identification inform the delineation of the Study Area boundary.”

“The Core Area represents the areas of fighting on the battlefield. Positions that delivered or received fire, and the intervening space and terrain between them, fall within the Core Area.” This is frequently described as “hallowed ground”. “On current WV maps,” Dunleavy stated, “this area is approximately from Teague Run in the west to Rattlesnake Run in the east and as far south as Engle-Moler Road and Aspen Pool Farm. In MD, the area runs from Ferry Hill in the west to about Millers Sawmill Road in the East and approximately 3/8 of a mile north of the Potomac.

SBPA continues to focus on trying to save the “core” of the “core” or about 300 acres. “Our focus is on that area where most of the fighting occurred in WV”, stated Dunleavy, “it remains in relatively pristine condition and would be perfect for a Civil War Battlefield Park, not only preserving ‘hallowed ground’ but encouraging heritage tourism in Jefferson County.

Professional Sportscare & Rehab To Collect Canes, Crutches, Walkers And Wheelchairs For Haiti Earthquake Victims

In response to the need for medical supplies to care for those injured in the Haiti earthquake, Professional SportsCare & Rehab will collect assistive devices, including canes, crutches, walkers and wheelchairs. The devices will then be donated to Project HOPE for immediate distribution in Haiti.

Assistive devices can be brought to any of the eleven Professional SportsCare & Rehab locations now through March 1.

Professional SportsCare & Rehab is working in partnership with Midway Self Storage, who donated a storage unit, and Brown’s Tire Towing & Auto Care Center, who donated a truck to deliver the collected items.  Anyone interested in assisting with the collection or starting their own collection sites can email a request to asstdevices4haiti@yahoo.com.