Town Government

Editor: The historic brick house at the end of West Gordon Street is a treasure, indeed. Held privately by the Graybeal family for many decades, it was formerly owned by the Kelly family and the Hays family, all founding fathers of Bel Air's rich history. Anyone who lived in Howard Park knows of this property, which is just down the sledding hill from the Liriodendron mansion. Many have spent pleasant hours playing tennis on the privately-owned clay court, which was open to enjoy.

Editor: The historic brick house at the end of West Gordon Street is a treasure, indeed. Held privately by the Graybeal family for many decades, it was formerly owned by the Kelly family and the Hays family, all founding fathers of Bel Air's rich history. Anyone who lived in Howard Park knows of this property, which is just down the sledding hill from the Liriodendron mansion. Many have spent pleasant hours playing tennis on the privately-owned clay court, which was open to enjoy.

At any given time, it's fair to say there are at least a few properties on the market in Harford County that could be described as historic, if the definition of historic simply means old. One such property was brought to the attention of the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners last week when a representative of its owner approached the commissioners about the possibility of the town buying the mansion. The house in question, owned by Judith Graybeal Eagle, is on 2.85 acres near the entrance to the Liriodendron Mansion, a noteworthy property owned by Harford County and operated as part of the county parks system.

At any given time, it's fair to say there are at least a few properties on the market in Harford County that could be described as historic, if the definition of historic simply means old. One such property was brought to the attention of the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners last week when a representative of its owner approached the commissioners about the possibility of the town buying the mansion. The house in question, owned by Judith Graybeal Eagle, is on 2.85 acres near the entrance to the Liriodendron Mansion, a noteworthy property owned by Harford County and operated as part of the county parks system.

The Carroll County Planning Commission quickly waived county zoning requirements yesterday for two residential lots in Taneytown. The commission also did not object to the town's proposal to annex a business.The commission waived the county's zoning requirements on lot size for two lots totaling half an acre, owned by A. Elaine and Leonard G. Wantz Jr.The waiver was necessary because the town government plans to rezone the property for higher density, according to a county planning staff report.

Carroll County government offices will be closed Monday and will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday.Northern and Hoods Mill landfills will be closed Monday and will ++ reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Regular landfill hours are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.The Carroll County Recycling Center on Route 97 near the airport will be available for drop-off only on Monday.Information: 857-2973.The following are closed Monday:* All Carroll County public library branches.* All Carroll County senior centers.

With 45 years on the job, Richard M. Warehime has been the clerk-treasurer of New Windsor almost twice as long as Mayor Jack Gullo Jr., 24, has been on this earth.With such wide difference in ages, experiences and perspectives, it was inevitable that the two would not see eye-to-eye on a number of issues involving town governance. As a result, Mr. Warehime is retiring this year.The position of clerk-treasurer might not sound like an important job, but for nearly two generations Mr. Warehime was the institutional engine that kept the New Windsor town government functioning.

Without anyone to coordinate vendors, food booths and music groups, Sykesville's Fall Festival may be history.For 20 years, the festival has been drawing people -- 10,000 last autumn -- into the town's business district for a Saturday of food, crafts and amusements. But this year, the Sykesville Business Association, the festival's sponsor, can't find a volunteer to organize this annual Carroll County event.Volunteer labor is an integral part of small-town living. Organizations such as the fire companies, town government and civic groups depend heavily on donated time and energy.

After 45 years of being virtually synonymous with New Windsor town government, Richard M. Warehime has decided to retire from his position as town clerk/treasurer."

Having just celebrated its 25th birthday, Columbia now has a town hall. Or does it?The Columbia Association, the quasi-governmental agency that provides services to residents, moved to the city's downtown last week. Officials hope the move, which included putting the association's name outside the new building, will improve visibility for the organization and make its new location tantamount to a town hall.Unfortunately, what the move really amounts to is symbolism with little substance. Try as they might, those at the association are going to have a tough time selling their agency as town government the way most people envision it.A non-profit corporation, the association operates in a twilight zone, neither public nor private.

Taneytown Mayor W. Robert Flickinger is preparing to step down next month after 32 years with the town government. But other town government veterans are jumping into the race for mayor and the two Town Council seats that are to be filled in the May 7 municipal election. Mayor Pro Tem Darryl G. Hale and Councilman James L. McCarron Jr. are vying for mayor. After a four-year hiatus, former Mayor Henry C. Heine Jr. is running for council. "We've got a lot of work to be done," Flickinger, 74, said.

JAWHAR, Somalia -- Islamist militias tightened their hold on southern Somalia yesterday by seizing control of a major strategic town, ousting a group of secular warlords in a brief, decisive battle just a week after driving them from the capital city of Mogadishu. The nation's transitional government, based in Baidoa, asked the African Union to deploy peacekeeping troops. The AU supports the transitional government but has not approved the deployment. The Islamic militants of the Islamic Courts Union have strongly opposed the presence of foreign troops in the country and threatened to halt talks with the transitional government if they sought AU help.

Three candidates have emerged to succeed Mount Airy Mayor James S. Holt in an election in which accommodating the town's rapid growth is likely to dominate the campaign. Holt, a write-in candidate in the 2002 election who narrowly defeated a three-term incumbent, announced last week that he would not run again because of the demands of his job as a structural engineer. Seeking his job at Town Hall in the May 1 election will be three men of varied political background: Richard Swanson, Frank Johnson and Keith Gehle.

Manchester had been considering whether to re-create the position of town manager, but it decided instead to get two for the price of one. Daniel C. Riley and John A. Riley, two brothers with extensive experience in town government, will fill two part-time positions, said Mayor Christopher B. D'Amario. "We get more bang for the buck ... [with] so much experience," D'Amario said. Daniel Riley will be project administrator, and John Riley will be town planner, D'Amario said. The town had about $40,000 in its budget for a town manager position, said Kelly J. Baldwin, the town's finance director.

June C. Weeks, a former Bel Air mayor, town commissioner and historical preservationist, died Monday of complications from a stroke at Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was 83. June King Clark was born and raised in Scotia, N.Y., she earned a bachelor's degree in education from then-New York State College for Teachers in Albany in 1943. During World War II, she taught high school French in Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., and was married in 1948 to Maurice H. Weeks, a toxicologist and pharmacologist.

Sykesville's mayor is running unopposed for a fourth term on a ballot with five council candidates vying for three available seats. With no pressing issues or referendums for the more than 2,200 registered voters to decide, officials are predicting a low turnout May 3 in the town of 4,500. "This election may lend itself to the conclusion that people here are satisfied with the job we are doing and the progress we are making to improve the quality of life," said Mayor Jonathan S. Herman, 52. Herman, a restoration contractor who served on the town planning commission and council before being elected mayor 10 years ago, said, "I have managed to evolve into the position until it has become a part of my life.

Despite its remote location in the northwest corner of Carroll County, Taneytown has experienced an explosion of residential growth in recent years. The major tasks facing the town government are developing the public services to accommodate this influx of people, rejuvenating the town's old commercial district and ensuring that new commercial development outside the town's center enhances, rather than detracts from, the local quality of life.Taneytown's elected officials will also have to choose a new town manager.

ANTIGUO CUSCATLAN, El Salvador - On a Sunday evening, Jose Ramon Delgado runs from the outdoor community bathroom, past crypts and crosses in the narrow walkway, to receive an urgent call from his mother in San Francisco. She has just watched a report on the Spanish-language news there about problems brewing in his neighborhood. Delgado lives in the cemetery at Antiguo Cuscatlan, a town a few miles west of San Salvador. A barbed wire fence suspended between trees and tombstones separates a sprawling mass of houses, all capped in corrugated metal, from the rest of the graveyard.

WASHINGTON - Heavy wind and rain blew through all-but-empty streets yesterday as the nation's capital, the federal government having closed, came to a near-standstill. Though the brunt of the storm did not hit until early evening, the capital seemed a ghost town throughout the day, largely because of the Washington Metro's decision to suspend all train and bus service at 11 a.m. Metro's action led to federal officials' decision to shut down the government for the day. The government shutdown will cost about $60 million in lost work and productivity, according to the Office of Management and Budget.