Aberdeen City

One of my first objectives will be to restore government by consensus to the Aberdeen City Council. I would pledge at the outset that once a vote is taken, I will support the majority view regardless of what side of the issue I was on. . . .The next issue that I think is extremely important is the water supply situation in our city. . . . I believe that this matter should be decided almost immediately so we can guarantee a continued expansion of water supply. . . .We must have a constantly expanding tax base in order to maintain the tax rate.

As Harford County continues to attract new businesses, particularly along the U.S. 40 corridor, the demand for employees also is growing, county officials say. To expand the labor force, a collaborative effort will provide transportation from Baltimore and Baltimore County to Harford business parks. "We've been able to offer a new perk to area businesses," Harford County Executive James M. Harkins said at a news conference yesterday during which he announced the program. "There is a need for skilled labor.

Army tests this week of Aberdeen drinking-water wells found no traces of a hazardous industrial chemical discovered a week ago in one of the city's 11 wells, an Aberdeen Proving Ground spokesman said yesterday. "No perchlorate was detected in any of the wells we sampled or in the finished water," said George Mercer. "We're not really sure why that was." Wells 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 -- those on the base -- were tested Wednesday, he said. The other six wells are located off the base. The "no detection" results do not mean that perchlorate, a chemical used in explosives and linked to thyroid dysfunction, is not present in the well, said Cal Baier-Anderson, a University of Maryland toxicologist who closely follows ground-water issues at the base.

Howard executive names acting police chief William J. McMahon, 43, deputy Howard County police chief and a 20-year veteran of the force, was named acting chief yesterday by County Executive James N. Robey, replacing Wayne Livesay, who retired the same day and is running for County Council. McMahon became a major and deputy chief in July 2002, and is in charge of operations. A permanent chief will be named by Robey's successor as county executive. He is prevented by term limits from running for another term.

TODAY BALTIMORE COUNTY COUNCIL -- The Baltimore County Council will meet in a legislative session at 4 p.m. in council chambers on the second floor at the County Courthouse, 400 Washington Ave., Towson. A vote is scheduled on funding to encourage redevelopment in Pikesville. 410-887-3196. TOMORROW ELECTION DAY -- Polls in Maryland will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the general election. The state Board of Elections Web site is www.elections.state.md.us. WEDNESDAY GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH -- Howard County Genealogical Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. to discuss "Computer Software for Research and Recordkeeping."

If there's one striking feature of Harford County politics this year, it's that more Republicans are showing up on the ballot, some having forced contested primaries for the first time in memory.That point is emphasized, in different ways, by the races in County Council Districts E and F.Republican Robert S. Wagner was unopposed in District E until after the filing deadline, when the Democratic Central Committee drafted Ruth B. Frank for the Nov. 8 ballot. That the Democrats were without a candidate was unusual; so was the committee nomination, which Republicans rarely bothered to make in past elections.

Plans continue to unfold for the fourth edition of the Cal Ripken World Series, to be played in its namesake's backyard in August. For the first time, the international 12-year-old tournament will be held at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, beginning Aug. 16, with the championship game scheduled for Aug. 24. Mattoon, Ill., and Vincennes, Ind., held the event previously. Fifteen teams will participate in the tournament, including representatives from Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, South Korea and Mexico.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has filed a civil complaint against a Brooklyn Park pharmaceutical firm charging it dumped wastewater at the Aberdeen Water Treatment Plant without state permission.Kanasco Ltd., which manufactures synthetic penicillin, allegedly dumped industrial wastewater at the Aberdeen Waste Water Treatment Plant without state approval on June 10, 19 and 26 of this year, said Mike Sullivan, a Department of the Environment spokesman.Mr. Sullivan said the state does not know whether the wastewater was hazardous, but Aberdeen city officials said they asked the company for a lab analysis certifying the wastewater contained no hazardous chemicals before accepting it at their plant.

Aberdeen Police Chief John R. Jolley improperly took $6,300 from the city treasury for a police relief fund, then wrote checks on that fund to pay his personal credit card balances and to buy tickets to a political fund-raiser, according to a state prosecutor's investigation. He also illegally voided dozens of parking tickets and some speeding citations.That would seem to provide ample grounds for his dismissal, despite state prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli's statement that he would not file criminal charges.

Cal Ripken and Aberdeen are making their pitch to attract USA Baseball. The national governing body of the sport, USA Baseball is searching for a new headquarters and training site, selecting Aberdeen - where Ripken Baseball is constructing a grand complex that will house the Orioles' short-season Single-A affiliate and numerous youth programs - as one of the five finalists. Yesterday, USA Baseball officials toured the facility with Ripken before a news conference in the council chambers at Aberdeen City Hall and then formal meetings to hear a presentation.