Havre De Grace

Everyday scenes of Havre de Grace will be the subject of the plein air paintings created by artists selected to compete in the second annual Havre de Grace Plein Air Painting Competition from Wednesday through Saturday. The competition is sponsored by Soroptimist International of Havre de Grace. En plein air is a French expression meaning "in the open air," used to describe painting in an outside environment rather than in a studio. Artists were selected to compete by juror Jacqueline Baldini of Niagara Falls, Ontario, director and founder of the International Plein Air Painting Organization.

Havre de Grace has suspended its varsity wrestling program for the rest of the season, athletic director Ron Petry confirmed yesterday. The Warriors were down to only two or three wrestlers, and everyone agreed that stopping would be the best option. The school did not have a junior varsity program, and county and state public schools officials are in the process of deciding how Havre de Grace's dropping out will affect other teams and their schedules. Petry said the Warriors had only about 10 to 12 wrestlers at the start of this season and that they will try again next year.

Havre de Grace officials hope to have the city's first manager on board by February.Councilwoman Anna B. Long said city officials have interviewed about a dozen candidates for the job, which will have a salary of up to $45,000, plus benefits.The city has received about 50 applications for the job, Long said,officials will interview three more candidates this week.

Voters in Aberdeen and Havre de Grace will pick new municipal leaders in elections Tuesday.In both communities, candidates have said that the main issue facing the municipalities is finding ways to continue providing quality government services in lean economic times.In Havre de Grace, citizens will vote for a mayor and three members of the City Council. In Aberdeen, voters will pick two members forthe town Board of Commissioners.All the available offices in both communities carry two-year terms.

Mission: To restore, preserve and maintain the cultural history of the city of Havre de Grace and the former Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal, including the Lock House, Pivot Bridge, Canal Lock and Basin; and to interpret the history through educational programs and exhibits. In operation from 1840 to about 1900, the 45-mile Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal connected Havre de Grace with Wrightsville, Pa. Mule-drawn boats traveling the canal had to be raised 233 feet through 29 locks. Historical artifacts of Havre de Grace and the canal era are on display in the Lock House, which was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1982.

When President Clinton and Vice President Gore visit Havre de Grace tomorrow to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, they'll find a town, nestled at the headwaters of Chesapeake Bay, that is a microcosm of the way we think about our natural environment.For its first 200 years, the water meant work in Havre de Grace (which was briefly considered as a site for the nation's capital in 1789 and, but for a twist of fate, could have been President Clinton's present address.) The Chesapeake provided transportation for the vegetable cannery, ice for the icehouses, a bountiful harvest for the fishing industry.

The River City Shuttle begins free weekday bus services in Havre de Grace next Monday, county administrators announced.The shuttle service -- similar to the Town-Go-Round in Bel Air -- will operate Monday through Friday, making 45-minute loops between 9:30 a.m. and 4:08 p.m.The shuttle will make 19 stops, including Chesapeake Industrial Park, Battery Village, Seneca and Wilson streets, Wilson and BloomburyAvenue, Bloombury and Giles Street, J. M. Huber Co.,...

Havre de Grace Main Street has been accredited as a 2008 National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center, officials said. The national center works in partnership with Coordinating Main Street Programs nationwide to identify local programs that meet 10 basic performance standards. Standards include developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving historic buildings.

A charming riverfront town that traces its roots back to Captain John Smith, Havre de Grace once vied with Washington, D.C., for the seat of the U.S. capital. Today, the quaint city, which again nabbed the national spotlight in the 1920s for its horse racing prestige, could never be mistaken for a hub of political activity. Quirky, cozy shops line Washington Street, downtown Havre de Grace's version of Main Street. The town projects a 1950s-era ambience, quietly luring visitors with antiques, books and homemade candy.