News Briefs

Election Results from Charles Town
The results of the local election in Charles Town are in. Two sitting members of the city council that were running for reelection went down to defeat while a third member was reelected. Mark J. Reinhart in Ward 1 was the winner over incumbent Ruth E. McDaniel.
Reinhart, 51, served on the planning commission. He also a member of the city's Landmark Commission. He hopes to work preserving the city’s historic heritage.
Wayne M. Clark in the Ward 2 race defeated Mary Lois Gannon-Miller. Clark believes that tax revenues the city gets from Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races should be used for capital improvements.
In Ward 4 Incumbent Michael Slover won reelection by beating back a challenge by Loretta Bell. 389 votes were cast which is down from other years. According to election officials the average turn out for local elections I around 500 to 600 voters.

Table Games Bring more money to the Lottery Co
According to published reports nearly $55.3 million dollars has gone to the West Virginia Lottery Commission from casinos table games. This is an increase of nearly 28 million over last year’s revenue, which was $26.3 Million Dollars.
According to the Lottery Commission Charles Town gave the largest chunk, nearly 70 percent of the states share of table gaming revenue this past April.
Since table games came to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races this past summer the casino has helped provide a significant boost in profits collected by the West Virginia Lottery Commission.

Daily Pain Support group

"Daily Pain" support group will be wrapping up Fibromyalgia Awareness Month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Half Note Lounge, in the historic George Washington Hotel in downtown Winchester, Va.
Participants can wear red, white and blue and join in honoring the U.S. military by bringing donations of travel-sized toiletries, such as shampoo, lotions and soap. These items will be shipped to Treats for Troops. They also can recycle old cell phones. For each phone, up to $30 will go to Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to deployed service members.
Dorian Brown from Remember Yourself will be doing reflexology.
Anyone making a $5 donation will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of 14 prizes donated by area businesses. Top prize is worth $350. The drawing will be held on June 13.
Bark in the Park Coming to Charles Town
The Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County will hold its fifth annual "Bark in the Park" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at Jefferson Memorial Park. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The event will feature a blessing of the animals, an interactive dog pledge walk, canine demonstrations, dog games, fashion show, food, vendors and canine contests.
"http://www.awsjc.org", and start collecting pledges now. If you or your business would like to be a sponsor for the event or if you would like to set up a booth as a vendor, please visit the AWS website for more info and forms or call 304-725-5972.
Compiled by James P. Whipple

Unique Programs at Craftworks

A unique day camp experience awaits children ages 6-13, taking place at the homeof our new state-of-the-art green studio at Cool Spring. Camp will be held each day9am-3pm with before and after care available at 8am and until 5pm at a daily rate of $5/hr.If you have an interest in carpooling, please email us at Camp Registration is still open and we have spaces available! Check out these amazing, fun-filled weeks that your children will enjoy...

Art Boot

CampJune 27 to July 1In this week long intensive camp, kids will shadow their Avant Guardian mentors to have a real fine-arts experience. Campers will learn about a crazy cast of artists from ancient to contemporary art history, and create work inspired by what they have learned in a wide variety of mediums and techniques. Visiting artists will help campers gain perspective on why artists are a very important part of our community, and how art is the ultimate form of communication!

World Explorers


July 5 to July 8Around the world in five days. Campers will learn what life is like for kids in other countries and cultures by experiencing first hand the crafts and customs from that region. Kids will write pen-pal letters, create a scrapbook to travel the globe, and make a variety of art pieces using techniques and inspiration from Asia, Africa, Europe, South American, and Australia.

Cool Spring Time Travelers

July 11 to July 15Learn about our community through the lens of history! Daily craft projects, games, and nature activities will highlight different phases and faces of American history. Starting with Native American life, through colonial times, from the Civil War to Civil Rights! Kids will discover the rich history that surrounds us at CraftWorks!

Bio-Crafters

July 18 to July 22Kids will create trail maps and one-of-a-kind trail signs that will guide all Cool Spring visitors. They’ll make terrariums, and create art from the natural materials onsite. They’ll pioneer a legacy of bio-crafting at Camp Cool Spring.

Imagination Land

July 25 to July 29There is magic all around us! Did you know that the woods at Cool Spring are teaming with fairies, elves, knights, wizards, and MONSTERS? Don’t be scared to take a trip into your imagination and become one with your wildest dreams in this fantasy themed week. Kids will test their creativity, writing and illustrating their own fantasy stories, learning a variety of theater games, and learning to give life to the fantastical creatures that live in our heart and heads.

County Notices

100 Mile Club at Parks and Rec

The Jefferson Parks and Recreation Commission is excited to offer you the 100 Mile Club. a walking program. Grab your kids, your spouse, your best friend or neighbor, or get away by your self and head out for a walk. Be part of Jefferson County’s walking initiative and join fellow Jefferson County residents in promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
Keep a log of the miles you walk. Just think, if you walk 2 miles per day (30-40 minutes). 5 days a week, you will log 100 miles in just 10 weeks! As with any new exercise programs, please consult your doctor before starting.
Once you log a total of 100 miles, you’re in the 100 Mile Club. Just submit your log and we will send your FREE pass to use the JCCC Fitness room and a Certificate.
For more onformation or to join the 100 Mile Club call us (304) 728-3207 or email us at http://www.jcprc.org/.

Notice

The County Commission of Jefferson County sitting as a Board of Canvassers, Will certify the Results of the may 14, 2011Primary Election on Thursday Jun2nd, 2011 at 9:45 a.m..
The Certification will be held at the County Commission Meeting Room located at the Old Charles Town Library located at 200 East Washington Street, Charles Town West Virginia, 25414 by order of The County Commission of Jefferson County, Patricia Noland, President

Office Manager Wanted

The Jefferson County Departments of Planning and Zoning are currently accepting resumes for the position of Office Manager. The Office Manager will report to the Director of Planning and Zoning and will require daily interaction with office professional and clerical staff to ensure timely completion of development review submittals and all special project tasks.
Key responsibilities include:
Serve as the primary administrative resource for the Director, including supervisor
clerical staff.
Monitor and direct workflow ensuring all deadlines are met.
Administratively manage special projects.
Provide input to the Director concerning budgetary needs/goals as it relates to individual special projects and the office.
Design and implement office policies and procedures.
Compose, transcribe and serve as Department editor for all Department documents.
Process timesheets, leave requests and payroll for the Departments.
Deposit, balance and remit payment to Sherriff for all collected Department fees.
Essential skills include:
Prior experience managing staff and providing leadership in a complex environment.
Strong writing and editing skills.
Have a fluent working knowledge of all Microsoft Office Professional Suite programs, including Access and Publisher.
Possess a working knowledge of the Internet and prior experience making web page updates.
Knowledge of and ability to apply basic finance, accounting and budgetary principles, as they pertain to project and office management.
Required education and experience:
Bachelor’s degree with 1 – 3 years of prior office/personnel management experience or a combination of higher education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
The salary range for this position is in the mid $30,000 range. A more extensive description of this position may be found at
www.jeffersoncountywv.org . Resumes may be submitted in person at the Departments of Planning and Zoning at 116 East Washington Street on the 2nd floor, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., by e-mail at planningdepartment@jeffersoncountywv.org or may be submitted by mail to:
Jennifer M. Brockman
Director of Planning & Zoning
P. O. Box 338
Charles Town, WV 25414
Resumes will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2011. If you should have further questions regarding this position please contact the Departments of Planning and Zoning office at (304) 728
-3228 or by e-mail at planningdepartment@jeffersoncountywv.org .

History Groups Announce Civil War Workshop

On June 20, 21, and 22, the Jefferson County Historical Society, the Jefferson County Museum, and Historic Shepherdstown will offer a workshop entitled “Jefferson County and the Beginnings of the Civil War.”
Registration for the workshop is open to the public. Participants may sign up for one, two or all three days. Each session will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission will be free.
Teachers in the Jefferson County Schools will earn staff development credit for attending any or all of the sessions. Teaching materials will be provided.
The workshop will explore the multi-faced role played by Jefferson County in the first year of the American Civil War. Topics and locations will be different each day.
The June 20 session, to be held at the Entler Hotel, Shepherdstown, will cover the strategic importance of Jefferson County and the Virginia Secession Convention. That day will include a keynote address by Civil War historian Jim Glymph.
The June 21 session, to be held at the Charles Town Library, will examine the beginnings of West Virginia statehood and the key Jefferson County players.
Finally, June 22 will be spent exploring Harpers Ferry and considering its significance in the opening months of the war.
Noted local historian and teacher Doug Perks, the originator of the workshop, will be the main speaker and tour guide. In addition to the tour of Harpers Ferry, the workshop will include tours of the sponsoring museums and the Charles Town Library, as well as discussions of historically significant documents and photographs.
For more information or to receive a registration form contact Doug Perks as soon as possible at "mailto:octldirector@frontier.com" or by calling 304-725-2208.

Hearing on Cement Mill property to be held

A public hearing of the Jefferson County Commissioners is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 7:00PM in the Charles Town Library, 200 Washington St. The purpose of the meeting is to obtain public input as to whether to spend $100,000 in county funds originally approved for a land purchase along the Potomac River where the battle of Shepherdstown occurred. Please attend and be prepared to support this opportunity to preserve an important part of Jefferson County's history."As you may recall, in July 2009, SBPA suggested that Jefferson County use the funds that we were able to acquire for the County from grants and the Civil War Trust (CWT) to purchase the Cement Mill property on the Potomac River and River Road. This property is not only battlefield land but is also of significant importance in the County’s industrial history. In addition, the site would be the only County access to the Potomac River offering kayakers, canoers and fishermen a recreational opportunity.
The funds from the grants and the CWT total $300,000. In addition, in 2007, the County Commission had set aside $100,000 to purchase battlefield land. In March 2011, the Board of Directors (BOD) of SBPA agreed to contribute $5,000 to the purchase. The current asking price for the Cement Mill site is $400,000 although no sale price negotiations have occurred. Presumably, the site may sell for less than the current asking price. The Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission supports the purchase and would hold the property until it can be deeded to a National Park. Last year, the Superintendent of the Antietam National Park told the County Commission (CC) that the Park would gladly accept the property and outlined the procedure that would result in the site being included in a National Park.
Initially, the CC was in favor of pursuing this opportunity but it now appears that 3 Commissioners may not support the purchase. The public hearing is to determine if the County should use its funds to help purchase the site. If the CC does not contribute funds to the purchase and the seller does not reduce his price to $305,000 the County will lose the $300,000 in grant money and the residents of Jefferson County will lose this important historic site.
Please make every effort to attend the public hearing and support the purchase by speaking to the CC. Also, encourage your neighbors and friends to attend and speak on behalf of the purchase of the Cement Mill property. In addition to attending the meeting, please email the CC at: "mailto:info@jeffersoncountywv.org"
Your attendance at this hearing is critical to saving this site - please help"

Ms. Evelyn Taylor to Speak in Charles Town

The Jefferson County Historical Society (jeffersonhistoricalwv.org) and the Charles Town Historic Landmarks Commission (http://www.historiccharlestownwv.com/) are pleased to announce that the second in the 2011 Historic Speaker Series will take place in Charles Town at Fisherman’s Hall, located at the corner of Academy and S. West Streets, on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. Noted local historian Ms. Evelyn Taylor’s presentation will be based on her book Historical Digest of Jefferson County, West Virginia’s African American Congregations, 1859-1999 (Washington, D.C., Middle Atlantic Regional Press, 1999). The free event is open to the public and will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by Ms. Taylor’s presentation beginning at 7 p.m.
Ms. Taylor will not only delve into the historical context of the church’s influence in African American life, but also illustrate how the church remains at the center of that life today. Many of the local churches in Jefferson County were built by their members with their own funds, stone by stone and board-by-board. In some congregations, the church history is also an account of family members who grew up in the church. In others, where records and deeds fall short because of fire and flood, griots have augmented the written accounts. The history covers a period of one hundred and thirty-five years divided into active, special- occasion use, and defunct congregations.
An author of African American church history and an administrator at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Evelyn M.E. Taylor is an ordained evangelist with the House of Prayer Church of God in Charles Town, West Virginia. A third-generation missionary, as was her mother and paternal grandmother before her, she has served on short-term missions to Kenya, South Africa, India, Jamaica and Canada. Since the late 1980s, she has worked with local prison ministry initiatives, coordinates women’s ministry conferences and retreats, and frequently conducts seminars mainly in women’s ministry both regionally and internationally. Trained as an educator, she holds degrees from Shepherd College (B.A.) and the University of the District of Columbia (M.A.), and has studied at Washington Bible College (E.T.T.A. Diploma), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School, and the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Md. Ms. Taylor is also a member of Allies for Freedom, a group of historians dedicated to research and writing on the events of John Brown’s revolutionary, abolitionist movements in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia (Harpers Ferry)—“In Harm’s Way: African Americans in Jefferson County, Virginia, 1859” in Jean Libby, ed., John Brown Mysteries (Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1999).