New School District Lines

The Jefferson County Board of Education announced its redistricting recommendations to account for the new Washington High School, which will open in September 2008. The board used the occasion to redraw district boundaries for middle schools, as well, to reflect development patterns in the county over the past several years. No changes are recommend for re-districting elementary school boundaries.

New waste haulers to Berkeley, Jefferson

West Va. Public Service Commissioners has adopted Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge Ronnie Z. McCann's April 13, 2007 Recommended Decision, thereby granting Allied/BFI Waste Services permission to haul commercial waste in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. The move effectively ends a monopoly on commercial trash service in the counties.

In a 29 page decision, the Commission issues its finding of facts and conclusions of law stating (#7 on page 27) that "the evidence establishes a pervasive and persuasive pattern that Waste Management is not timely providing services to its Eastern Panhandle customers. Waste Management's lapses are not isolated incidents, nor do they represent occasional unmet need .... Accordingly, the Commission should conclude that Waste Management's service in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties is neither adequate or efficient.”

Berkeley, Jefferson Accept 159-Acre Easement

Jefferson and Berkeley counties have accepted their first jointly held farmland protection easement—a donation from Steve and Debbie Bauserman on 159 acres straddling Opequon Creek. The easement is co-held by the two county farmland protections boards andthe Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle. The easements are especially significant given that it comes as a result of donation, rather than through purchase. Said Steve Bauserman,

‘Our farm on Opequon Creek has always been a special place for my family, not only because of its historic home and natural beauty, but also because of the decades of memories shared there.  We have been fortunate that three generations have had the opportunity to work with and enjoy its many attributes.  As a result, it is extremely important to us that current and future generations have a chance to participate in experiencing this gift.”

The Bausermans’ property boasts significant frontage on Opequon Creek, as well as Speck and Spring Runs, making it an important step in protecting both surface and ground water.

W.Va. AFL-CIO Endorses Unger

John Unger, Democratic Congressional Candidate in West Virginia’s Second District, announced he secured the endorsement of the West Virginia American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations (WV AFL-CIO).  WV AFL-CIO’s endorsement of Unger’s candidacy is the earliest endorsement of a challenger in the organization’s history.

Old Standard Update

Stonewall Heights, LLC, has purchased 15 parcels totaling 564 acres near Harpers Ferry, the site of a controversial, stalled development.. They will construct the Museum of the National Park Service on the property along with a hotel and conference center.  They also announced that they would place all parcels under scenic easement with a leading national land trust.

This deal was announced at a meeting with Senator Robert Byrd’s staff in Washington on Wednesday, October 24. The purchase resolves months of controversy over the future of these parcels.  Earlier attempts to intensely develop the Old Standard quarry and the other parcels were defeated before the Charles Town City Council and the Jefferson County Commission. National preservation groups, the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, and local citizens, had raised concerns about creating a large-scale urban development in the middle of this historically and scenically significant area.

Preservation groups hailed the announcement as a major victory.  "This is a fantastic ending to what could easily have been a catastrophe for one of the most picturesque national parks in the country," remarked Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) President Jim Lighthizer.

The Museum of the National Park Service will be the centerpiece of the Centennial of the National Park Service, and is slated to open in 2009. The museum will house significant artifacts drawn from national parks and become the preeminent venue for the public to experience the diversity of America’s historic and scenic resources.  State-of-the-art multimedia and virtual reality displays could attract upwards to a million visitors a year.